Mirror Mirror on the Wall
by rehilaration
Summary: Inuzuka Kiba knows Hyuuga Hinata is the one girl he can never have. When a mysterious mirror enters the picture though, it seems Kiba might just get his chance after all.
1. Chapter 1

"Inuzuka Kiba! Uzumaki Naruto! Hyuuga Hinata!" The Godaime addressed the three shinobi in her office. "I have a mission for the three of you!" She smirked at them. "Can I trust that you can complete it without threatening to send you back to the Academy?"

Naruto raised an angry fist at her.

"I'm going to be the Hokage someday! The last thing I need to do is go back to the Academy!"

Kiba rolled his eyes.

"Shut up, baka. The first thing you should probably do is go back to the Academy. Then maybe you won't mess up all of our missions!"

The angry fist turned towards Kiba. "At least I don't have to depend on a dog to win my battles!"

"No, you have to depend on a demon fox to win yours!" Kiba retorted smugly.

Tsunade shook her head.

"Hinata, I think I'm going to have you be in charge of the team this time."

"WHAT!?" Naruto and Kiba stopped their verbal assault on each other at that comment.

"Granny Tsunade!" Naruto wailed. "How come I never get to be the leader?"

"Simple." Tsunade grinned. "You are completely irresponsible, ignorant, AND… you get on my nerves."

"AAAHHHHH!!!!!" That comment sent Naruto into another verbal frenzy.

Hinata, on the other hand, was terrified.

"Hinata! Congratulations!" Kiba had gone over to the young shinobi and gave her a warm hug. "You know what this means, don't you? The Godaime recognizes that you've grown! I'm so excited for you!"

"Kiba," Hinata whispered. "I can't be the leader! I don't know how!"

Kiba grinned. "Don't worry about it! If Tsunade thinks you're ready, you are. And, if you need help, I'll be right there for you."

Hinata smiled back, fidgeting with her zipper. "Thank you, Kiba."

"No problem." He gave her a small hug before he turned to the fighting duo. "So, what exactly is our mission?"

---

Their mission was simple. They were to travel to Sunagakure, pick up an A-rank scroll, and bring it back to Konoha with all haste. Although there was always the chance for enemy ninja to attack just any group from Konoha, Tsunade assured them that no one should know that the scroll was moving, and as such, there would be no one after it. Slightly more reassured, Hinata and her team set out on the long journey across the desert.

They stopped for rest just after the sun went down. Kiba made a fire while Naruto set up the tents and Hinata prepared their rations. After making a perfect cooking fire, Kiba went and took a seat next to Hinata.

"You did really well today," Kiba announced, putting his arm around her shoulder. "It's not easy putting up with Naruto."

Hinata blushed at the compliment. "Thank you, Kiba. That means a lot to me."

Kiba grinned. "Hey, no problem! Besides, I've got more where that came from! For instance, you always smell wonderful. Much better than Naruto. He always smells like ramen and feet."

Hinata laughed from behind her rosy cheeks. "I think that was a compliment, but I'm not sure!"

"No, it was definitely a compliment."

"Thank you." She leaned back into the comfort of Kiba's arm. "Ah, this reminds me of our days in Team 8. Now all we're missing is Shino!"

"Did you say 'missing' Shino?" Kiba asked, skeptically. Hinata laughed and gently punched his arm.

"Shino is a good person."

"I never said he wasn't! It's just, I never quite got used to being on a team with a walking ant farm."

"I seem to remember you being very grateful for his bugs on many different occasions!"

Kiba waved that aside.

"Doesn't matter now. What matters now is that our food is getting cold! Naruto! Are you done yet?"

"Almost, almost." Naruto tied off the last rope and came to sit by the fire. Greedy as always, he headed straight for the food. After dishing himself slightly more than his fair share of Hinata's cooking, he set back and regarded the two on the log.

"So…" Naruto said, grinning through his food, and holding up his little finger. "You and you, huh?"

Kiba and Hinata realized their close proximity, and true to her nature, Hinata's face flooded with color. Kiba, on the other hand, merely snorted at the suggestion.

"Hinata-hime and the dog-nin?" Kiba shook his head sarcastically. "That'd make a fine pair, I'm sure."

Naruto shrugged and went back to gobbling down his food, oblivious to the tension coming from across the fire. The blush in Hinata's face had faded a little, but the Hyuuga heiress was no longer as comfortable sitting with Kiba. How many times had she sat this way? Kiba's strong arms surrounding her in a protective cocoon while she snuggled up to his warmth... Sometimes Akamaru joined in, finding a comfortable place in her lap. Shino had never said anything about it, and as far as she could remember, no one else had either. How had she never noticed how… _intimate_ the position actually was? But Kiba had been so nonchalant about it. Maybe it really wasn't such a big deal. She shook her head to dispel the frustration building in her head. If Kiba didn't mind, then she decided she didn't either. She wasn't about to give up the small comfort she got during missions just because of an off-handed remark.

---

Kiba wanted to kill that blasted fox. If Naruto was going to be the Hokage of anything, it was going to be in the Hidden Village of Inappropriate Remarks. He had felt Hinata tense in his arms after Naruto's untimely comment and he was also pretty sure that, even from where he was sitting, he could feel the heat radiating from off of her rosy cheeks. If Naruto ruined his favorite part of missions with Hinata, he wasn't sure he could stop himself from introducing Naruto firsthand to Gatsuga.

Truth be told though, he knew it was not really proper for the heiress of the esteemed Hyuuga clan to be wrapped in his arms or, when the occasion presented itself, inside his coat. Shino had always made that perfectly clear, although away from Hinata. But, of course, Kiba had always met Shino with the same strategy: Deny, deny, deny.

No, he didn't feel anything for the Hyuuga.

No, he didn't have any hidden motives for holding her close every chance he got.

Yes, he knew the responsibilities she had and of course he would never do anything to jeopardize that.

And Shino would always look at him, knowing that he was a big fat liar. But, as long as he never crossed any lines, Shino had left them alone. Now that baka Naruto might have ruined the one thing he dared to share with Hinata.

He knew he was a fool to have fallen for the heiress. He told himself that at least ten times a day. She was going to marry someone rich and pompous someday, and have lots of little Hyuuga babies. She was going to take over her clan, and Hinata-hime would soon forget all about the little dog-nin who used to hold her in the dying light of a campfire. It was because of this that he had never followed through with his feelings. He would never tell her. He would never tell her how her presence was like sunlight, warming him to his toes. He would never tell her how he would forget to breathe around her. He would never take her in his arms and finally kiss every inch of her devastatingly beautiful blush. He would never be able to…

He frowned hard, stopping _that _line of thought. Even though he did think about it all the time, mixing his fantasies while having their star performer in his arms was a lethal combination. He had made the mistake once, and even though he had managed to get out in time, he knew Shino didn't really believe that he "heard something in the woods and had to go check it out."

Now…

He held his breath, desperately hoping that she would forget what the stupid fox had said and relax back into the arms that were aching for her touch. If he was deprived of even that small connection to his soul mate, he would lose what was left of his mind.

When she did, it was all Kiba could do to not cry out in relief. Subconsciously, he tucked her in a little tighter.

Yeah…

He was _so _screwed.


	2. Chapter 2

Three uneventful days later, the shinobi (and nin-dog) reached Sunagakure where the honored cabinet of the Kazekage- namely Temari and Kankuro- greeted them at the gate to escort them to the honored Kazekage himself for the scrolls. Gaara, happy to see them (or as happy as can be when it comes to Gaara), offered to let them stay and rest. He had been concerned about the changing seasons and its effect on the desert sands, but anxious to complete their mission, they left Sunagakure that night under the cover of darkness, the scroll safely stored inside Hinata's pack. Their chakra-covered feet carried them like the wind over the gracefully shifting sand of the desert.

By midday, though, they knew they should have listened to Gaara. The moon had disappeared in harsh sunlight, and Hinata's Byakugan had spotted a sandstorm of tremendous size rushing over the barren landscape towards them.

"What do you want us to do, Hinata?" Kiba shouted, his voice barely carrying over to their leader.

"Shelter! We need shelter!" Her soft voice called over the roar of the approaching storm. "Kiba! Have Akamaru try to find any place we can hide! I'll look too!"

She activated her Byakugan again, and desperately scanned the desert.

_Sand… sand… rock… mountain of sand… CAVE!!!_ Her Byakugan caught sight of a dark patch hidden by the moving hills.

"Over there!" She shouted to her teammates, pointing in the direction of the cave. "I think I've found something!"

The other two switched directions immediately, following Hinata. With not a moment to spare, the three ducked into the cover of the rock. Outside, the sand whipped by them with devastating force, chipping away at the rock around the entrance.

"That was lucky!" Naruto sighed as he leaned against the wall. "I sure didn't want to be stuck out there! Plus," he opened his pack. "We now have time for some ramen!"

He pulled out a pack of instant ramen, cooked it, and was inhaling it in seconds. Kiba rolled his eyes. Typical Naruto.

Hinata, on the other hand, had her eyes activated and was scanning the walls.

"Looking for something, Hinata?" Kiba came to stand next to her.

"I don't know." Hinata responded, still scanning. "I suppose I'm just checking to make sure it's safe."

Kiba grinned at that. "Ah, our fearless leader, always protecting her troops. See? What did I tell you? You make a great leader!" He threw his arm around her, pulling her in for a friendly side hug. Hinata blushed at the compliment, but smiled sweetly while she deactivated her Byakugan.

"So, are we safe?" Kiba teased her. Hinata shrugged.

"I didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Solid rock walls. But I think I'm going to check the back now. "

"Good. I'll come with…" Kiba's reply was cut off by short yip and the sound of collapsing rocks.

"What was that?" Naruto called from the entrance. The three looked to the back of the cave, seeing only settling dust.

"Akamaru!" Kiba yelled. "Where are you?"

A small bark sounded from a distance. Kiba and Hinata ran to the back of the cave, skidding to a stop at the mouth of a gaping hole. Peering down inside, they could see a little white ball standing in the middle of a large cavern.

"Akamaru! Are you alright?" The nin-dog's owner called down to him. The dog nodded. "Is it safe to come down there?" Akamaru gave a little bark of confirmation.

Kiba turned to Hinata. "Well, I guess it's the floors that we have to look out for! Is it okay if I go down there?"

Hinata paused. "Well… I don't want anyone to get hurt…"

"Akamaru said it was safe." Kiba reassured her, and Hinata nodded.

"I trust him. Go ahead."

"Wait for me!!" Naruto yelled, finally coming to the mouth of the hole. "You can't let him go down there!"

"Why not?" Hinata asked the orange nin.

Naruto shrugged. "He always seems to get into trouble and needs to be rescued."

"What!?!" Kiba grabbed Naruto by the collar. "That's you, baka! You're always the one in trouble! I'm always the one who has to rescue _you_!"

Before the two could exchange fists, Hinata stepped between them.

"Stop! We'll all go!" She announced softly. "Here, there will be safety in numbers."

Kiba scoffed. "It would be safer if we just tied Naruto up somewhere…"

---

The three nins dropped silently into the waiting cave. The rounded walls stretched high above them while long-undisturbed stalagmites lined a cave stream that quietly trickled along the floor.

"Will you look at that…?" The three stared in awe at the vast cavern.

"Who would've thought all of this was under the _desert_?" Naruto exclaimed, speaking for the rest of them.

"Not me, that's for sure!" Kiba nodded. "This place is something!"

The others nodded in agreement, and they (including Akamaru) carefully looked around the cavern, admiring the natural beauty that hid underneath the moving desert sands.

Naruto noticed a small ray of sunlight coming from the end of the cavern and, true to his curious nature, decided to go check it out. To his surprise though, he found that it was not sunlight sending shards of light into the cave, but instead a glowing gem that pulsed and shined with an inner light.

"Hey! Come look at this!" He shouted to the exploring duo across the cave. "I found something!"

Kiba and Hinata hurried over, admiring his find. "What do you think it is, Hinata?" Kiba asked, gazing in awe at this beautiful treasure.

"Byakugan!" Hinata's eyes analyzed the gem, looking for attached traps or anything else suspicious, but found nothing. "It looks safe…" She whispered. "But I don't know what it is. It doesn't look like anything I've ever seen before!"

"We should take it with us!" Naruto announced, reaching out for the gem. Before the others could stop him, his fingers ghosted over the jewel. Where his fingers touched, the jewel flared, and bathed the three in bright light.

"What was that?" Kiba questioned, looking around him. "Naruto, I don't know what that was, but don't ever touch anything again unless…"

"I can't move!" Naruto wailed. His arms flopped around as he showed that his feet were seemingly glued to the floor. "Is someone doing Shadow Imitation?"

The two others tested their movement as well. Where their feet touched the ground, they were indeed stuck. Kiba shook his head at Naruto. "I don't think so. When Shikamaru does it, you can't move at all. Right now, it's only our feet that are stuck."

"Yes," Hinata agreed. "But our shadows! Look at them!"

The three shinobis' eyes dropped to their feet. The brilliant light had cast solid shadows behind them. But, their shadows no longer stayed around their feet. Now they stretched and thinned until all three shadows intersected at the far cave wall behind them. The instant the shadows made contact, the entire wall gave a shudder. Ancient dust and rubble fell from the bricks, finally collapsing completely.

All four (including Akamaru) gasped in surprise. The wall had given way to reveal the entrance to a small room. Drawn by an invisible force, Kiba, Naruto, and Hinata took hesitant steps inside.

"What is this place?" Naruto asked, looking around at the ornate carvings running from floor to ceiling.

"Don't ask me!" Kiba was just as confused. Akamaru gave a small bark, and Kiba nodded. "Akamaru says that no one has been here in probably a hundred years. Whatever this place is, people either forgot about it…"

"Or we really shouldn't be here!" Hinata was hiding behind clenched fists. "We should try to get out of here!"

Kiba grinned over at her. "Don't worry, Hinata. This place may be creepy, but it doesn't seem dangerous. Besides, no matter what this place is, I won't let anything hurt you." He reached out to her, and she hesitantly grabbed his hand, taking comfort in his strength.

The invisible pull on their shadows stopped as they reached the middle of the room. At the end of the room, hidden in the darkness, a light flickered across the wall.

"Did you see that?" Naruto shouted, pointing towards the wall.

"What was it?" Hinata whispered, squeezing Kiba's hand tighter.

Before Naruto could answer her, the light flickered again. Only now, it spread. Like the rays of sun across the ocean waves, the light sparkled and danced across the old gray bricks. As it brightened, the bricks disappeared behind the rainbow of colors. The shine slowly solidified and the three ninjas and one nin-dog could see themselves as clearly as if they were looking in a mirror.

"It's beautiful!" Hinata gasped, watching herself in the mirror as a myriad of colors danced across her skin. Kiba glanced over at her, transfixed as well. Her pearly eyes reflected every color imaginable, and he found himself being pulled into them. Her fear had melted away, and he was captured by the innocent joy radiating from them. All too soon though, the colors, bending and arcing around the room, melded together, centering around Naruto.

"Naruto!" Kiba shouted. He tried to run over to push him out of the way, but he, just like the others, was still immovable.

Suddenly, the light surged into Naruto. Hinata screamed as he was slowly lifted into the air and the light, which could be seen shining from underneath his skin, shot from his fingertips into the mirror.

"Naruto!" Kiba shouted again. "Are you okay?!?"

Naruto, despite the light streaming from his fingers, turned his head to them and nodded.

"I'm fine! It didn't hurt me- it just feels really nice and warm!" He grinned at them. Hinata and Kiba sighed in relief.

"Thank goodness!" Hinata relaxed, but tensed again when Kiba tugged on her hand.

"Hinata, look there!" The mirror was fogging up, and they could no longer see their reflections. The light from Naruto's fingers, though, had changed from a bright white to a warm orange, and everywhere it touched in the mirror, it cleared again. But…

It was no longer their reflections.

The mirror had cleared to show the aerial view of Konoha. Around the office of the Hokage, it seemed like the entire village was crowded, waving banners and smiling as if it was everyone's birthday. The mirror slowly zoomed in, revealing the people standing on the stairs going up to the roof.

They recognized everyone on the roof. Kakashi-sensei, Iruka-sensei, Tsunade, Jiraiya. The entire Konoha 11 (minus Naruto), the sand siblings, and the entire force of Konoha shinobi.

It was Naruto's turn to gasp. The stairs also held people he didn't think he would ever see again. Inari, from the Land of Waves. Ranmaru, no longer the weak pawn of Raiga. The actress known as Princess Fuun. Hundreds of people who he had met along his journeys.

And there, at the top of the stairs, stood Sasuke.

Still devilishly handsome and suave, Sasuke leaned against the railing of the office. Naruto's eyes filled with tears as his heart took in the sight of his greatest rival and friend. But something was odd. Something was missing. With amazement, he realized that it was the murderous intent that always surrounded him like a cloak. And then he realized something even stranger. Sasuke was smiling. And not the arrogant smirk that he often wore when demeaning Naruto, but a true smile. One that came from happiness deep down. His eyes reflected an inner light, and he beamed, looking across the roof at a figure bathed in sunlight, robes flowing with the wind.

It was Naruto.

And he was wearing the robes of the Hokage.

Hinata and Kiba had to cover their ears as Naruto screamed his joy.

"I'M HOKAGE, DATTEBAYO!!!! And look at all of those people! They are ALL acknowledging me!" He paused to wipe away the torrent of tears from his eyes. "This has got to be the greatest day of my life! That is my dream! That is what I've always wanted!"

As he voiced his joy, the light from his fingertips faded, the mirror clouded again, and he dropped slowly to the floor. As his feet touched the ground, he danced around, barely able to hold in his happiness.

"Oi! Naruto! You can move again!" Kiba shouted, trying (and failing) to speak louder than the loudest ninja in Konoha.

"Yes, Kiba, but we can't!" Hinata spoke up. And she was right. Their shadows were still tied to the mirror, which was moving again.

This time, the light headed for Hinata.


	3. Chapter 3

The light surrounded Hinata and, just like it did with Naruto, surged through her, swirling under her skin, lifting her into the air, and shooting out of her fingertips. Naruto had finally stopped his joyful screaming, and gazed in tandem with Kiba and Akamaru as they watched the Hyuuga heir float.

Slowly, the bright white of the light dimmed, yet not into an orange, but a cool lavender. The mirror cleared, and Hinata gasped as she recognized what the mirror was showing her. It was inside the walls of the Hyuuga clan. The beautiful main branch garden was filled with white-eyed guests, her teammates and friends, and other important figures of Konoha village, all clad in the finest robes she had ever seen.

"Hinata," Naruto whispered to her. "Where is that?"

"That's my house," she whispered back, slightly disbelieving her eyes.

"You live there?!? How rich are you?" Naruto's eyes grew wide.

"Shut up, baka!" Kiba smacked Naruto, and he slipped to the floor, holding his head.

Hinata smiled at their antics, but soon turned her focus back to the mirror. The mirror was showing the main house entrance to the garden. Her father, Neji, and Hanabi stood just below the steps, and as she watched, two small girls pulled back the sliding doors of the house. To her utter surprise, the door opened to reveal her. Yet, this could only be described as the Hinata of her dreams. This Hinata was tall and slender, with glossy raven hair that cascaded down her back.

From beside her, Kiba bit his tongue, trying not to gasp at the most extraordinarily beautiful woman he had ever seen.

This Hinata still carried an aura of innocence around her, yet wisdom and strength shown from behind her pearly eyes. Gracefully, she accepted the arms of both her father and Neji, as they escorted her down the stairs. Hanabi placed an intricate crown of silver on her head as she passed by.

Hinata gasped as the Mirror Hinata walked by. Her ornate kimono had sheer sleeves, revealing something that she barely dared to ever hope for. The unmistakable tattoo of ANBU shown from her upper arm.

"ANBU? Wow, Hinata!" Naruto was watching again from his place on the floor. "I never thought of you joining ANBU!" Fortunately for him, he was paying a bit more attention now, and barely missed Kiba's fist.

Hinata didn't notice, though, because she was too involved with what was happening on the mirror. On the mirror, her father and Neji were presenting her before the elders of her clan. Shockingly, the faces that usually grimaced at the sight of her were smiling. Her father was smiling too, as was Neji. Instantly, she realized what she was seeing. Although she was born the heiress to her clan, and she wanted to be, she always thought that the elders would forbid her from ruling. Yet, in this fantasy world being portrayed by the mirror, she was seeing her dreams come true. Not only had she become strong, but she had gained the respect of her entire clan. This was her initiation day as the Hyuuga ruler.

Tears of ecstasy fell from her translucent eyes. Just as Naruto had seen his dreams come true through the mirror, she had done the same. This was everything she could have hoped for.

The light faded from her, and gently dropped her into Kiba's waiting arms.

"Is that your dream, Hinata?" He whispered to the gentle shinobi. "Is that what you want?"

She turned her tear-stained face to him and smiled. "Yes, Kiba. That is my dream."

"You know, Hinata," He gave her a hug. "I think that that is one dream that you're going to make come true." He gave her a grin, but the light was already dragging him into the air.

"Hinata! Do you think that this mirror shows the future?" Naruto asked as he found a seat next to the released shinobi.

"I… I don't know. Maybe."

"I think it does!" Naruto grinned. "After all, I'm going to be Hokage one day. And since the mirror showed that, I think that it does tell the future!"

Hinata smiled at his enthusiasm. Maybe it did show the future! If it did, she couldn't be happier.


	4. Chapter 4

As Kiba floated upwards, he found himself panicking. What would the mirror show him? Was it really the future? If it was, he wasn't sure he wanted to see what it was like. But then again, what if it merely showed what you dream of? It had shown both Naruto and Hinata's dreams.

If that was the case, he REALLY didn't want to see it.

Glancing back down, he realized why. If this mirror shows what you dream of, he was pretty sure he knew what was going to show up. And the two people here were probably the last two people on earth that he wanted seeing it.

Too late, though. The bright white had turned red enough to match the fangs on his face. The red light was clearing the mirror, and as soon as he saw it, he felt his stomach drop and the blood drain out of his face.

Oh, no.

_Please_ no.

It was the inside of his house.

He saw an older version of himself taking off his shoes, surrounded by the Inuzuka nin-dogs. Akamaru barked happily as he recognized what the mirror was displaying. His bark turned confused, though, as he saw a puppy Akamaru come bounding through the door. Kiba was just as confused, until another one, and another one came bounding after the first. Kiba laughed.

"You see that, Akamaru! You're a daddy!"

Akamaru barked happily, and Kiba sighed with relief. Maybe this wouldn't be the disaster he thought it was going to be!

"Daddy!"

His relief stopped short. In a panic, he looked at the mirror again. Three decidedly human pups had followed after the dog ones. The Mirror Kiba picked up the closest red-fanged child and spun her around, while the others latched on to his legs. The child in his arms hugged his neck, and then- to real Kiba's horror- opened her eyes.

Yeah, there was no way he was getting out of this one.

Unmistakable Hyuuga eyes stared at him from the mirror. Hinata gasped from somewhere below him.

"Kiba…?" She whispered, understandably confused. He couldn't look at her. Maybe it would be over soon. Maybe it wouldn't show anything else and he could pretend that the child was blind…

… and not from the Hyuuga line.

But, fate hated him.

Mirror Kiba stood, taking kids 1, 2, and 3 with him. He knew where he was going. The kitchen was always the first place he went after coming home. As he turned from the hallway into the kitchen, though, something inside of him froze.

He forgot about Hinata and Naruto sitting on the floor beneath him.

He forgot about their mission.

He forgot that he was floating in the air.

And everything inside of him focused on the woman in the Inuzuka kitchen.

During Hinata's vision, he had thought that Mirror Hinata was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, but the woman in the kitchen put that one to shame. This was Hinata, barefoot and pregnant, undoubtedly with his child. Her beautiful body was rounded with life and birth, and not even Mirror Kiba could keep his hands off of her. Mirror Kiba practically ran over to his wife, wrapping her in his arms, and kissing her in ways that Kiba- obviously- only dreamed of. When Hinata pulled away, there was so much love radiating from her eyes that real Kiba caught his breath.

Yes. This was Kiba's dream. He was irrevocably in love with the Hyuuga heiress, and he could think of nothing greater than to marry her and fill their house with little Hinatas and Kibas. Just seeing this scene here filled him with such an overwhelming feeling of protectiveness for her and these fictional children.

In the mirror, Hinata set all of the children down for dinner, but quickly pulled her husband away into the hallway. Real Kiba blushed as red as the fangs on his face, desperately hoping that the mirror wouldn't show any more of his… dreams. For once, fate allowed him his sanity, and the mirror clouded just as they reached the door of their bedroom.

The light faded, and Kiba sank to the floor. He didn't move, but sat there with his head down. He couldn't look at Hinata. What would she think of him now? Now that she had seen the inner most desires of his heart?

"Wow… uh, Kiba… I, uh… wow…" Naruto broke the silence. Kiba sighed.

"Yeah. Well," He stood, still not daring to look at Hinata. "Let's get out of here. We still have a mission to finish. We've wasted enough time as it is. Come on, Akamaru."


	5. Chapter 5

The sand storm had long died down, and Kiba could see the line of trees bordering the Konoha forest off in the distance. Kiba left Naruto and Hinata to make their own way out of the cave and was now desperately trying to keep ahead of them, although he knew they were right behind him. Naruto's unmistakable scent of ramen and the flowery… heavenly… intoxicating… aroma of Hinata filled his senses, driving him to go faster and put more distance between them. Akamaru whimpered beside him.

"Sorry, Akamaru. If you can't keep up, go watch over… Naruto." Akamaru snorted. Kiba agreed. He knew he was a coward when he couldn't even say her name.

"_Kiba_!!" He could hear Naruto's voice calling to him clear into the forest. "Kiba! Wait up!" He shook his head and pushed more chakra into his feet, jetting him forward.

But, even desperation wears out eventually, and Kiba- finally far ahead of the others- was forced to stop. He found a perfect campsite, not far from a river. He started a fire and warmed up some rations, knowing that everyone would be hungry when they got there. He set up his tent a ways into the forest, planning on hiding in it as soon as the others arrived.

He didn't have long to wait before the rest of the team showed up. Naruto predictably headed straight for the food. He didn't wait to see what Hinata was doing. He made a beeline for his tent and prayed for sleep.

But, as he kept finding out, fate hated him.

He could smell her long before he could hear her, and he entertained ideas of using the substitution technique to get away before she got there, but he knew he couldn't. She deserved an explanation, and he had already put it off long enough. At least this way, Naruto wouldn't be listening to him dig himself even farther into a hole.

Hinata stopped just outside of the tent, her melodious voice politely announcing her arrival.

She was too good.

Sighing, Kiba opened the door to his tent, still not able to meet her eyes.

"I-I'm sorry to bother you this late, but… I-I…" Hinata started, but Kiba cut her off.

"I know why you're here."

Hinata blushed. "You do?"

"Yes. And you deserve an apology. It is the least I can do."

"An apolo-..?"

"I really am sorry. I never intended you to find out, and definitely not that way."

"Kiba, I…"

"I know it must have been horrifying to watch. I mean, you are an heiress for Inu's sake!"

"Wait! I…"

"I guess we all know what that mirror was back there. It just shows what we want, not the future. Although, I really do believe that you'll become strong enough to take over your clan."

"You don't und…."

"Hinata, I promise that as soon as this mission is over, you won't have to see me again. I'll stay out of your life."

"But I don't…"

"Hinata, I wish you all the best. You'll be an amazing leader for your clan."

"Kiba, stop!!!"

Kiba looked at her, too shocked not to. He couldn't remember the last time he had heard Hinata raise her voice. Had she ever raised her voice before?

Once he looked into her translucent eyes, though, he was trapped. Frustration shown from them. Frustration mixed with… sadness?

"Kiba," she said gently. "Why didn't you want to tell me?"

"Because… because you're too good. You are an angel, Hinata, and you deserve the life of an heiress. Not the life of a lowly dog-nin." He snorted in disgust at himself. "Besides, you're going to rule your clan. I would only prevent that for you."

"Kiba… do you really feel that way?" Hinata looked horrified.

"Yes…"

"Kiba… how could you think that? If I could have chosen to be born Hyuuga or born Inuzuka, I would have chosen Inuzuka. No question about it."

Now it was Kiba's turn to be stunned.

"That… that can't be true! Look at your life! Where you live! You are from the most upstanding clan in Konoha! You have the Byakugan!"

"Yes, but look at your life. You have love. You have a family that is not torn apart by birth lines and jealousy. You aren't despised by your entire clan for being weak." Hinata's eyes watered, but she continued. "In your home, you receive a life-long companion to accompany you through life. We give curse seals to make sure that we can control those not born into the head family." Her voice wavered. "Kiba, do you know how many times I've wished I was you? You are so free! You're not afraid of anything!"

Kiba laughed softly.

"If only that were true."

"What do you mean?"

Kiba sighed. "Hinata, I know how you feel about Naruto, and every time someone mentions him, or you see him, I see how you light up inside." He paused, hesitating before he continued in a whisper. "Haven't you wondered why I never liked Naruto? It's… it's because I knew _you_ liked Naruto, and I knew one day he was going to realize how perfect you are, and I was so scared that he was going to take you away from me."

"Kiba…" Hinata gasped. "H-how long have you felt this way? I haven't liked Naruto in years!"

Kiba gave a sheepish grin.

"Let's just say that you're probably the only reason I ever went to class."

It took Hinata a minute to process that.

"Class… class?! Do you mean the_ Academy_ class?"

Kiba shrugged. "You were cute."

"You liked me even before we were teamed up together?"

Kiba's grin grew. "I thought I was going to die from happiness that day."

"Kiba…" Hinata was quiet. "How did I never know?"

"Well," the dog-nin sighed again. "I always tried to be careful. Plus, Shino knew, and he… he kept me in line."

"Shino knew? Who else knew?"

"Um, I'm pretty sure Kurenai-sensei knew, but she never said anything. Oh, and my mom and sister know."

Akamaru barked from somewhere by the campfire. Kiba grinned.

"And, of course, Akamaru." His smirk grew. "Actually, I'm pretty sure he's got a crush on you too." Hinata smiled.

"Well, actually, he is pretty cute…" She shrugged, her voice teasing. Kiba's eyes grew wide.

"Uh uh! No way! I get you before Akamaru does!" He laughed, but stopped short as he realized what he said.

Hinata let that sink in.

"So, when do you get me?" She asked innocently. Kiba gulped.

"I- I... can't… have you…" He whispered.

"You don't want me?"

"No! Of course I want you!" Kiba smacked himself mentally. "I mean, it just… won't happen…"

"Why? Because you won't let it?"

"No, because you won't… wait, huh?"

Hinata took a step closer to him. "What if _I_ wanted you?"

"You… want me?" Kiba squeaked. Hinata took another step. Her face was as red as the fangs on his, but she kept going.

"Kiba?" She whispered to him.

"Y-yeah?"

"Do you really want what we saw in the mirror?"

"You mean with you and Naruto?" She was too close. Whatever brain he had left when she was around him normally had completely shut down.

"No. I mean your part." Her huge, innocent eyes had captured his, and he knew he couldn't lie to her.

"Yes." He could barely hear his own voice. Her sweet scent had surrounded him, and he knew that he needed to get out of there quickly, before he forgot the reasons why he needed to stay away.

"Kiba," She took the last step that remained between them, hesitantly ghosting her fingers along the edge of his coat.

"H-Hinata," He swallowed desperately. "I think you need to go now."

She nodded, but didn't listen. Instead, she leaned in close and, with her blushing face warm on his skin and her breath on his ear, whispered:

"I think love you."

Since his brain had stopped working long before this, it took him a very long time to process what she'd said. When he finally had, he was only able to manage a very articulate-

"Huh?"

Hinata laughed as she hid her face in his chest. Pulling her head back, she looked into his eyes.

"Inuzuka Kiba, I love you. I think I have for years. And if you can like me even when I'm fat like I was in your dream... well… if you want all of those children with me…" She leaned in, her voice barely a whisper on the wind. "You can have them."

What small control Kiba had left over himself vanished with those words. He finally wrapped his arms around the petite-nin, and returned her embrace, lifting her off the ground and pulling her up to his eye level.

"Hyuuga Hinata?"

"Yes?"

"Will you marry me?"

It wasn't the proposal that Hinata had once dreamed of, with flowers, a romantic dinner and a ring, but she found that this was infinitely better. A million stars, the tranquility of the forest, and being in the arms of the man she loved beat out any clichéd proposal she'd heard of.

"Yes, Kiba, I will."

Kiba was pretty sure that this was the greatest day of his life. The beautiful goddess who had haunted his thoughts and dreams for years was not only wrapped in his arms, but also loved him! And wanted to marry him! Elated, he swung his bride-to-be around the forest, finally setting her down again in front of him.

"Hinata?"

"Yes, Kiba?"

"Can… can I… kiss you?"

Hinata smiled. The normally brash, impulsive dog-nin had now turned into the shy one! Well, if he was going to be shy, then she would be the bold one.

"Not if I kiss you first." Standing on her tiptoes, she wrapped her arms around his neck and let her petal soft lips touch his.

For Kiba, he knew that his life would never be the same. The curvy body that had haunted his dreams for years was pressing against his and it seemed like electricity was dancing between their lips. As gently as he could, he backed up until he braced himself against a tree. It had been a long day, and with his emotions running around like nin-dogs inside of him, he wasn't sure he'd be able to stay standing for much longer. Hinata's soft hands were slowly running up and down his back, and with effort, Kiba pushed her away.

"What's the matter? Did I do something wrong?" Hinata turned into the shy one again. Kiba gave his trademark grin as he ran his hands through his hair.

"Well, there are two things wrong, I guess, although you're not one of them." He sighed. "This has already been the most amazing night of my life. If we kept going like we were, it would _definitely_ become the most amazing night of my life. But, I have a feeling that your family would know, and I don't think they're going to like me much any way. Hinata, I want to do this right. I want to ask your father if I can marry you. And even if he says no, I'll do it anyway. I just want to be right by you."

Hinata blushed. Who knew that Inuzuka Kiba was so honorable? But…

"You said there were two things wrong. What was the second?"

Kiba rolled his eyes. "Well, the part where Naruto is only about 50 feet that way kind of makes the whole thing pretty awkward…" Hinata blushed at that and Kiba sighed. "Speaking of which, we're still on a mission. You're probably pretty exhausted, and we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow." He leaned forward and kissed her gently. "But I love you, Hinata. More than I can tell you. And," He kissed her again. "I plan on spending the rest of our lives proving it to you."

Hinata's eyes welled up with tears. That was the most romantic thing she had ever heard, and from Kiba no less! She knew he was right, though, so she regretfully turned and headed back towards the campfire.

Kiba watched her make her way through the woods back towards the campfire. His fanged grin stretched across his face as he watched her unconscious grace with every step she took. Oh yeah, she was _so _good. He watched her until she disappeared into the darkness, and then collapsed inside his tent.

He wasn't too happy about letting Hinata go like that, and especially back to the campfire with that loud orange blob, but he knew he had no choice. Inuzukas were not well known for their self-control (although he'd been practicing ever since he'd met Hinata), and now knowing that she loved him… _she loved him!..._ enough to marry him… enough to carry his children… well, he could only handle so much temptation.

Heaving a great sigh, he relaxed into his sleeping bag. What a day! He couldn't remember the last time he was so exhausted. After all, the first part of the day fell under the worst of his life. But the second part… well… Kiba fell asleep with his trademark grin on his face.


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning dawned bright and clear. Kiba woke slowly and immediately noticed that something was different. Usually, he would be greeted with the scent of Akamaru as he licked his face awake, but he couldn't feel the small dog's chakra nearby at all. In it's place…

Kiba bolted upright. Sitting in the corner of his tent was his blushing bride-to-be, her face hidden behind her clasped hands.

"H-Hinata!" Kiba pulled his covers to his chin, as if to protect himself from the innocent, ignorant seductress across from him. "Uh… good morning?"

"Good morning, Kiba-kun!" She whispered, but didn't say anything more. Kiba looked at her, confused. He could feel the nervousness coming off of her in waves.

"Hinata, are you alright?" His protective side came up in a hurry. "Did something happen?"

Hinata shook her head, and if possible, turned even redder than she already was.

"Oh." Kiba's heart sunk. "Hinata… you're not… are you rethinking my proposal?"

"No!" Hinata leaned forward. "Never! It's just…"

Kiba raised an eyebrow at her. "Just what, Hinata?"

"Well… I-I was wondering… if maybe… you…you could…"

Hinata paused, but her shy side kicked back in, and she scooted out of the tent.

"We'll leave as soon as you're ready!" Her soft voice carried back to him as she ran through the trees.

"_What was that about?"_ Kiba wondered, but smiled. He was looking forward to waking up every morning with that blushing face to greet him.

--

The three shinobi and one nin-dog flew through the trees towards Konoha, happiness in all of their chakra-fused steps. Hinata tried to keep on alert for enemy-nin, but she couldn't help but keep glancing back at the handsome ninja behind her. For Kiba, his grin grew wider every time she would. Of course, Naruto, the oblivious block of wood that he is, was too wrapped up in his Hokage fantasies to notice all of this, but Akamaru could tell what had happened the night before. He wore a little smirk on his doggy face, knowing how happy his two teammates were.

All too soon, the gates of Konoha came into view. Waving at Kotetsu and Izumo on watch as they flew by, they headed towards the Hokage tower to deliver the scroll. With the tower just ahead, Kiba called for the others to stop.

"What's the matter, dog breath?" Naruto whined. "I want to finish soon! I'm going to meet Iruka-sensei at Ichiraku so I can tell him all about the mirror and me being Hokage!"

"That's exactly why we need to stop!" Kiba announced, looking at the two. "Listen, Naruto, it's alright if you want to talk about the vision you had, but until Hinata and I have… some things taken care of, we need you to keep quiet about ours."

"You have to take care of things? What do you… oh….!" Naruto's eyes grew wide. "Wait, you mean… you… and you…"

"Yeah." Kiba grinned at Hinata, who was doing a very good impression of his own smile. "That's what we mean."

"Oh…" Naruto nodded sagely. "So what things do you both have to take care of?"

Kiba rolled his eyes at his obliviousness. "Baka, just forget about it. Don't talk about us, and it'll be fine."

Naruto obviously still didn't get it, but didn't care as long as he could brag about being Hokage. With thoughts of ramen and Hokage in his head, he followed the team leader and dog-nin into the Godaime's tower.

--

Tsunade was shocked to see that they'd made it back so quickly and, from their accounts, without trouble too. With a big smile, she congratulated Hinata on her successful mission as the team's leader. Hinata reddened, but graciously thanked the Godaime.

"You know, Hinata," Tsunade said as she safely locked the scrolls away. "This is another successful mission in a long row for you now. Not all high ranking, necessarily, but success is success! If you keep this up, I can see you going far. ANBU, maybe. Ever thought about it?"

Hinata looked at the Godaime, stunned, her vision from the mirror swimming before her eyes.

"Yes!!" She blurted, before catching herself. "I mean… I-I would like to serve Konoha as ANBU someday."

Tsunade smiled. "You might just be able to do that." She made a note into one of the large tomes Shizune forced her to keep on her desk, and then nodded at the team in her office. "I don't have any new missions for you, so you all get three days off. Three days, and report to me!"

The three shinobi grinned in thanks and left the office.

"Three days!" Naruto walked besides the new couple, his hands clasped behind his head. "And I know just what I'm going to do first!"

"We ALL know what you're going to do first, baka! Ramen, ramen, ramen…Just get to it!" Kiba muttered. He was desperate for Naruto to finally leave, so he could have a chance to be alone with…his fiancée. He grinned at that thought.

Fortunately for Kiba (and unfortunately for Iruka-sensei), Naruto spotted his old Academy teacher right off the bat, and immediately went over to demand that he take him to Ichiraku.

To Kiba's surprise, as soon as Naruto turned towards Iruka-sensei, a small warm hand slipped into his rough one. He looked down at the shining face of Hinata, his little bride-to-be, and couldn't wait any longer. Withdrawing his hand from hers, he made a quick series of seals, took her hand again, and together they disappeared from the street.

--

Kiba and Hinata appeared again, this time in the training grounds closest to the Hyuuga complex. Quickly sniffing the air, Kiba decided it was sufficiently empty of others and wasted no time pulling the soft heiress to him, worshipping her with the kisses that he had dreamt of for as long as he could remember. He moved from her gently parted lips to carefully nip at the smooth skin inside her collar.

"_Oh, Kiba!_" A breathless moan wisped inside his ear. He froze, desperately grasping for the threads of control that, until yesterday, he'd managed to keep firm control on. Her little moan was too much like…_ something else_… and the primal side of him demanded he finish what he'd started. Growling, he reluctantly pushed her back. He took a seat on a fallen log, scooting over when she took a seat next to him.

"I…I'm sorry, Kiba-kun."

Kiba's head shot up to look over at the little heiress who was currently doing her famous finger twiddling.

"Sorry? Sorry for what?"

"I know I'm… I'm not… very good at this. I'm trying though!" Hinata's face practically glowed with the blush that covered it.

Kiba nearly choked. _Not good at this??_ She was killing him now, and she wasn't even touching him!

"H-Hinata…" He finally managed to say. "You think I stopped because you weren't good enough?" Her silence was answer enough. Sighing, Kiba pulled her close in the gentle embrace they'd become so accustomed to on their missions. He placed a tender kiss just above her ear, and Hinata finally relaxed in his arms. Kiba tucked her into his coat, and quietly whispered,

"Hinata, you're _too _good at this. If I hadn't stopped… well… you'd be picking out another color than white to wear for our wedding."

As that slowly sunk in, Hinata nodded, finally understanding. "So what do we do now?"

Kiba grinned. "Go see your father, I guess. Something tells me he might not be too happy about this…"

"And neither am I. Kiba, I am disappointed in you." Hinata and Kiba looked up to see the third member of Team 8, a scowling Shino. Kiba cursed under his breath.

"You may escort Hinata home, but you will return here immediately after." Shino demanded, somehow managing to make his monotone voice express his fury. Part of Kiba wanted to just knock Shino out and get back to the goddess in his arms, but most of him realized that he was going to have to have this talk with Shino anyway. He nodded in resignation and stood, linking his hand with Hinata's and turning towards the Hyuuga House.

--

I want to thank you all SO much for reading my story and for all of your reviews! I'm a huge sucker for KibaxHina, and I love seeing other fans too! ;D Sadly, school has just started up again, and that's my first priority. Don't worry though; I'm still putting up chapters as quickly as I can! So enjoy and be looking for a new chapter soon!


	7. Chapter 7

Kiba had left Hinata just outside the main gates of the Hyuuga House. He had wanted to give her a goodbye kiss but, not knowing if Byakugan eyes were watching, had to settle with a gentle squeeze to her hand. Now he was headed back to Shino. He cursed again. He didn't know what Shino would do. Actually, what he really didn't know was how Shino knew. He had a pretty good guess though, and he was pretty sure that _someone_ wouldn't be able to eat ramen for a good long time after he was done with him.

He stepped into the clearing again coming to a stop in front of his longtime teammate. Shino sat quietly on the log Kiba and Hinata had recently vacated, his sunglasses reflecting the moonlight. For a long moment, they were silent. Kiba knew Shino had a lot on his mind, and he waited for him to speak.

"I should kill you."

Kiba started. Whatever he had expected Shino to say, it wasn't that! He had no response to that, but it didn't matter as Shino was talking again.

"I should kill you, Kiba. You are a traitor to your team. You lied to me- to everyone. You undermined the team by engaging in non-platonic relations with another teammate, and…" He covered his eyes with his hand. "And I let you."

"Shino… what?"

"I should have stopped you. I knew what you were doing, even if you did not. I am perhaps more to blame than you. So, I will not kill you."

Kiba hesitantly looked Shino over. He didn't look like he was really mad anymore, just frustrated. "Um… thanks? So, uh, what now?"

Shino looked up again and shrugged. "You will have to marry Hinata."

For the second time that evening, Kiba was speechless. "Shino… I… I…"

"I know. You don't understand." Kiba nodded helplessly, so Shino continued. "This little crush of yours… I could have…_should have_… taken care of it in the beginning stages. It is too late now. You have involved Hinata in this now, and it is beyond salvaging. To retract your words to her now will destroy her. Hinata, she grows stronger every day. But only stronger physically. Her emotions are still very vulnerable. To have brought her this far… to refuse her…" Shino shook his head sadly. "She has had enough people in her life refuse to acknowledge her. And although I do not approve of relationships within a team, I know you will care for her and protect her. You might not be my first choice for a mate for Hinata, but you will do."

Kiba scoffed. "'I will do?' And who was your first choice?"

"That does not matter. What matters now is that you will not allow your… lack of judgment impede your missions."

"Now hold on just a minute!" Kiba had finally had enough. "My lack of judgment? Are you saying that I just came out and told Hinata how I felt?? No, that wasn't it at all! Do you know how hard I've tried to keep away from her? It wasn't me who let Hinata know how I felt!!!"

"It… was not you?" It was Shino's turn to be confused. "How can that be?"

Kiba grinned sheepishly. "It's a long story. All I can tell you is Hinata found out, and she was the one who made the first move."

Shino chuckled. "Hinata making the first move? Now I know you're lying."

Kiba was no longer listening. His mind had drifted back to Hinata's _first moves_ and was now grinning like an idiot. Shino scoffed as he realized he'd lost him.

"Fine. It does not matter. Listen to me, Kiba. I have no desire to continue this conversation tonight. Instead, you will meet me here tomorrow afternoon so we can figure out how to take care of this _fiasco_."

Kiba grabbed the bug user by the collar, growling. "Now you've gone too far! I let you say what you wanted. You don't get to insult Hinata!"

Shino's face showed his surprise. "Insult Hinata? I did no such thing. I was offering to help you."

Kiba let go of him. "Help me? Are you serious?"

Shino smoothed his jacket where Kiba had grabbed him. "Kiba, you and Hinata are my teammates. I trust you both with my life." He shook his head slowly. "I do not, however, trust you not to screw this up."

Kiba grinned. That was the Shino he knew.

"Fine. I guess I could use all the help I can get. Tomorrow afternoon then?"

"Yes. Don't be late." He turned and started walking back towards town.

"Oi, Shino!" Kiba called after the bug-nin. Shino turned, his glasses glinting in the moonlight.

"Thanks."

--

It's a short one, but hey! Shino's going to help:D Come to think of it, we need to get Shino a girl... hmm... :D

Until next time!!!


	8. Chapter 8

The sun was high in the sky before Kiba reluctantly made his way to the old training grounds. Light circles around his eyes betrayed the fact that he had not slept well the night before. The few precious minutes of sleep that he managed to get were filled with dreams of Hinata, and while that normally was a good thing, the part where Shino always inevitably dragged her away at the end kind of ruined it for him.

Next to him Akamaru let out a questioning whimper. Kiba attempted to give his best friend a grin, but it came out a little bit twisted.

"Sorry, boy." He shook his head. "I'm just a little bit out of it. I'm not sure what Shino is going to do, and honestly it scares the crap outta me."

Akamaru responded with a comforting bark and fell back into Kiba's shadow.

Shino was already there.

The bug-user appeared to be in a serious conference with the inhabitants of his body (which, no matter how many times he saw it, still creeped Kiba out), and ignored the dog-nin as he entered the clearing. They'd been teammates for so long that Kiba didn't bother him. He just picked a comfortable-looking log and made himself at home until Shino was ready to talk.

It didn't take long. Pretty soon the little black chakra-eaters scurried back inside their living nest, and Shino acknowledged his two teammates.

"You're late."

"Late? Late?!?!" Kiba scoffed, but finally shrugged. "Whatever. Let's just get this over with. What's the plan?"

"Yes… the plan. I have been debating over scenarios with my bugs…"

Kiba raised an eyebrow. _Did Shino really expect him to take dating advice from insects? _

"The bugs personally feel that they have the most successful solution, as their methods have never failed."

"_Their methods?_" Kiba laughed. "And what exactly are their methods?"

"Their suggestion was the natural one. Find a suitable mate and impregnate them."

…

"_HELL YEAH!!!" _

Shino scowled at his obvious enthusiasm.

"We are not using their advice."

"Why not? It's a great idea!"

"No, it's not."

"Sure it is! I'll go get her now!"

"You will not."

"Why not?"

"Because!" Shino finally exclaimed, frustration radiating off of him. "The bugs' advice is exactly the same advice Akamaru would probably give you. It is the nature of an animal, and it is exactly what we're trying to prove to the Hyuuga's that you're not!" He took a deep breath. "Now sit down. I haven't told you my plans yet."

Kiba sat down again, sulking. "Fine. What's your plan?"

Shino smirked. "I believe that we can convince Tsunade of the sincerity of your cause."

Kiba gaped. "That's it?? That's your big plan?? Ask Tsunade?? What's she going to do? _Force_ Hinata's father to let us get married??"

Shino shrugged. "If necessary. But I don't think it will come to that."

Kiba stood. "Whatever. Forget it. I don't want to involve her. You're already one more person than I want being involved in my relationship with Hinata."

"Kiba. I haven't told you the plan..."

"I said forget it!" Kiba headed out of the clearing. "Come on, Akamaru."

--

With Akamaru in tow, Kiba turned towards the Hyuuga House. Growling, he thought back to his conversation with Shino. Whatever he had in mind sounded complex, involved, and more than Kiba wanted. If he was involving Tsunade, that meant more people would find out about their relationship. Shizune, for one. She knew everything that went on. But it wasn't her that worried him. If Shizune knew, that would probably mean Sakura would find out, since she was the apprentice to the Godaime. And if Sakura knew… well, with the mouth on that girl… All of Konoha would know within the hour, and his chances would be over.

He knew Shino would come after him eventually, but right now all he wanted was to see Hinata. _His future bride. Inuzuka Hinata._ That was his mantra. He couldn't allow any other possibilities.

The front gate to the vast Hyuuga complex was open, and Kiba went on in. While it was normally not the best etiquette to simply walk in to another's home, the Hyuuga's allowed teammates to come in. He went to the training grounds within the walls, figuring that was the first place to look for Hinata.

She wasn't there. Judging from the size of the spinning dome that _was _there though, Kiba decided just to wait and ask Neji where she was. It didn't take long before Neji slowed his spin and came to a stop in the middle of a rather large hole in the training ground.

Kiba grinned. "So, who gets to fill in the ground every time you destroy it?"

Neji shrugged. "One of the groundskeepers knows an earth jutsu. What do you want?"

"Looking for Hinata."

Neji nodded. "That's what I assumed. She probably won't be training today though."

"Why? Is she okay?"

For the first time that he could ever remember, Neji looked uneasy. Before he had a chance to question him though, he caught a whiff of the delicious perfume that was Hinata…

…moving rapidly away from the Hyuuga House.

He nodded a goodbye to Neji, and took off after her. A few moments into the woods, Kiba reassessed where his gentle mate was. Where ever she was headed, she was going there in a hurry. A small whimper from Akamaru confirmed his suspicions. She wasn't going in a straight line. She was haphazardly fleeing, which meant only one thing.

Something terrible had happened.

He doubled his speed, determined to catch up to her. Within a few moments, her scent grew stronger and he could see the long, bobbing hair of his fiancée. His eyes narrowed in anger. Subtly mixed with her aroma was the scent of saline. _Tears_. Someone had made her cry. Unconsciously, Kiba growled, baring his fangs at whoever had hurt his tender _hime_.

His growl carried further than he expected. In the distance, Hinata came to an abrupt stop among the leaved branches. She turned, her Byakugan activated. The instant she saw who it was though, she changed directions and began running full speed at Kiba. He had only a second to lock his chakra to his own tree branch before she flung herself into his arms.

Kiba gently jumped to the forest floor with Hinata wrapped around him. Sinking to the ground against a massive tree trunk, he stroked her hair as she wept into his shoulder.

"Hinata?" Kiba soothed. "Hinata? What happened? Who made you cry?"

That only brought another round of tears, and Kiba decided now would be the best time to just hold her. As her tears slowly died away, they both found that they liked this new version of cuddling better. This was nothing like the clandestine holding they'd had to be content with in the quiet of a dying campfire. No, this was far better. Hinata's head was tucked gently into the curve of Kiba's neck, her arms tucked between them. Kiba's arms, on the other hand, drew her close to him, reveling in the warm weight of her body on his. The muted scent of her drying tears still kept him on edge though. He wanted to ask her what had happened, but he knew she'd tell him when she was ready.

"We're too late."

The words came softly, and Kiba would have missed them if he hadn't been completely focused on her.

"Late? What do you mean, late?" His voice was gentle, but betrayed the confusion he felt from those three words. She snuggled closer to him, her lips just inches from his ear.

"My father arranged my marriage while we were gone. They didn't even wait for me. I wouldn't have wanted to be there anyways, but still. I don't even know him."

She laid her head back down, ignoring the fact that Kiba now resembled a brick wall. Kiba, on the other hand, was doing all he could to not jump up, fly back to Konoha, and rip that bastard of a father of hers a new one. He eased a bit when he heard a small chuckle.

"At least he's not making me marry Neji."

Oh yeah. That made it _SO _much better. Kiba tasted blood from where his fangs had bit into his lip.

"Kiba?" Her innocent face looked up at his. He managed a small smile for her. "What do we do?"

_What do we do…_

What _could_ they do?

He shook his head honestly. "I don't know. We'll think of something." He gently pushed her back to look into her pearly eyes. "Hinata, we WILL think of something."

She nodded sadly.

"Hey, Hina?" Kiba's voice shook. "It'll be okay. I promise. I won't let you marry him. I… I… can't let you marry him. I can't."

The raw emotion in Kiba's voice brought Hinata's eyes to his face.

Hinata was very familiar with Kiba's emotions. Being teammates for so long will do that, but Kiba was normally pretty verbal about how he felt. If he was angry, happy, _hungry_, you knew. But the emotion etched across his face now was new. With shock, she realized it was fear. Despite his brave words, despite the brave face he tried to put on for her benefit, she knew. He was utterly terrified that he was going to lose her.

It was in that moment that Hinata had a revelation.

She had never been wanted. She knew that. Her father didn't want her. She'd heard him say it over and over again. Hanabi was the one he loved. She knew her little sister was the one being groomed to take over the Hyuuga clan- not her. That didn't mean she couldn't still want it, though. Although she was pretty sure that Neji cared about her (more so in the last couple years, after he had let some of his hatred go), he showed his care with a distant kind of respect.

When she joined her Genin team, she knew that they cared about her, but she also knew she had been a burden. Time and time again she failed them on missions. Shino treated her with the same distant respect Neji had, but she knew her well-being mattered to him.

But Kiba… _oh, Kiba…_

Kiba _wanted _her. Had for years. He knew her flaws, her faults, her mistakes, as well as she did, and yet here he was, clutching her like a life-line. Thanks to the strange mirror that had started this whole thing, she had even seen inside his head. She had seen what she looked like through his eyes. He loved her like she was now, but she knew he was not ever going to leave her. He'd already proved that he wanted her years down the road. At first she'd been slightly horrified to see that pregnant Hinata made a cameo in his vision, but then she'd looked at the nin she'd shared so much with already. There was no revulsion on his face, like she'd expected. Instead, she read the emotions radiating off of him like a book. It was _desire_. Desire, love. (And embarrassment, of course. That was a no-brainer.) In that moment, she'd felt wanted for the first time in her life.

It had hurt her that he ran. She didn't blame him, naturally, but he couldn't even look at her. Naruto had been blessedly quiet as they followed the desperately fleeing nin, leaving her with her thoughts. She'd weighed the pros and cons of approaching Kiba, and realized that there really were no cons. He couldn't very well play off the vision like it was nothing. She and Naruto had visions of their own to prove that it was real.

When she'd gone to him, he'd looked so miserable. She'd been shocked to hear how he felt he didn't deserve her. She'd been cut down by everyone in her life for so long; she didn't understand how he thought she was worth anything at all. But he did. Fueled by the emotions running through both of them, she'd been bold for the first time in her life. She'd told him she loved him too. She'd kissed him. She'd said she'd marry him.

The next morning she'd watched him sleep. He was so adorable asleep, and her mind had wandered to thoughts of the future, where she'd have every right to be tucked in beside him. She wanted to kiss him again, but lost the nerve when he woke.

And now here she was, in the arms of the only one who had ever loved her, and unconditionally for that matter. It was amazing the clarity with which she now saw her problems. She was not a child. Besides, her father had essentially given up his rights to her long ago. He had no right to jump into her life like he had, demanding that she marry a complete stranger. She was a woman. She was a ninja. She was engaged to Kiba, not some random, distant cousin.

And for the first time in her life, she was going to stand up to her father.

That was _her _way of the ninja.


	9. Chapter 9

_Here she was, in the arms of the only one who had ever loved her, and unconditionally for that matter. It was amazing the clarity with which she now saw her problems. She was not a child. Besides, her father had essentially given up his rights to her long ago. He had no right to jump into her life like he had, demanding that she marry a complete stranger. She was a woman. She was a ninja. She was engaged to Kiba, not some random, distant cousin._

_And for the first time in her life, she was going to stand up to her father._

_That was her way of the ninja._

--

He had felt Hinata's stance change just seconds before her petal-soft lips captured his. Where she had been slouched and defeated, she was now strong, aggressive, and…_ooh… do that again…_

She had moved from his lips, and was working her way up his jaw line towards his ear. She gave it a little nibble before quietly whispering,

"_I'm going back."_

Her voice brought Kiba out of his Hinata-induced dream state. Blinking, he looked up at her, mesmerized by her kiss-swollen lips.

"What do you mean?" His voice was soft, confused. She leaned in again to cover his lips with hers.

"My father has no right to tell me who to marry. I love you, Kiba." She punctuated that with another short kiss. "I will marry _you_."

Kiba growled softly, possessive, and dragged her up against him, her hair soft on his face. "You really mean that?"

She returned his embrace. "Yes. I'm going back, and I'm going to tell my father that."

"He won't be happy."

"No."

"He'll disown you."

"Probably."

"What about your dream? To rule your clan?"

Hinata sighed. "Some dreams are not as important as others."

Kiba set her back. "Hinata! No! As much as I love you, you can't give up your dreams for me."

Hinata smiled softly, blushing. "Who says you're not one of my dreams too?"

Kiba sighed. He really was a sucker for that blush of hers. He grinned. If only she knew how strongly she had him wrapped around that little finger of hers…

"Alright. Let's go see your father."

--

If Kiba thought the Hyuuga mansion was imposing during the day, it was downright scary during the night. Strategically positioned lights lit up the complex like a great beast. _"Appropriate…"_ Kiba thought, sarcastically. It really did feel like they were going into the den of the beast. Next to him, Hinata stepped a little closer. The little hand grasped in his was trembling, the only thing betraying the surprisingly strong face she had put on.

Kiba bent down, brushing a kiss to her cheek. "You're doing great," He reassured her.

She gently squeezed his hand in return, returning a grateful smile to him.

"Hinata!" A dark shadow called from a doorway, back lit from the lights within. "You useless girl! How dare you to think that you could run like that! Get in the house now."

Hyuuga Hiashi stood on the porch of the main house, ruthlessly cold and demanding. Kiba forced back a shiver. Even _looking_ at the man's translucent, pupil-less eyes scared him. It was amazing just how different those eyes could look on different people. On Hinata, life and love showed out of the Byakugan eyes. On Hiashi, the Byakugan were weapons, cutting through your defenses and ripping at you.

Even now, those daggered eyes raked over him, narrowing at the sight of their intertwined hands. Fighting the natural urge to let go, like the eyes demanded, he squeezed tighter.

His gentle squeeze reminded Hinata of why they were there, and she bravely stepped forward.

"No, Father."

_Those_ eyes narrowed further, Hiashi's face resembling white marble. Slowly, he came towards them, his robes billowing ominously around him.

"You dare to disrespect me?" He was an arms length away, Byakugan meeting Byakugan. Kiba's hand was starting to ache as Hinata grasped it like a life line but, incredibly, she met her father's gaze head on. He could tell how desperately she wanted to drop her eyes, fiddling with her fingers like she normally did, but she didn't. She stood tall and strong, like the leader she so wanted to be.

Kiba was so proud of her.

Hiashi, on the other hand, was not. The Hyuuga, his glare icy cold, finally understood that his daughter (the useless one, if you asked him) was not backing down. That unpleasant realization shot through him, and he stiffened, scowled and, before anyone could stop him, viciously backhanded her.

Hinata's head flew to the side, knocking her into Kiba's arms, her hair fluttering over her reddening cheek. Kiba couldn't help the expletive that came through his gritted fangs, but now he had Hinata in his arms. He knew he couldn't just drop her to beat up her bastard of a father.

Hiashi smirked, an evil grin twisting his features.

"Worthless."

He turned to go back into the house, but froze as he felt a hand reach out for his arm. Spinning furiously, he saw Hinata reaching to him, her head still buried in Kiba's chest.

"F-Father…" Her voice was soft. "Please listen to me."

"No." His voice was glacial. "You do not get to address me. Go inside now."

Hinata tensed in Kiba's arms. Gently she pushed away, and stood again to face her father. Her face was bruised, her eye swelling shut, but she again met his glare head-on, her eyes as cold as his.

"No. I will not go inside. In fact, you will not tell me what to do any more." Her voice was gradually gaining strength and volume. "I am not a child. I am a ninja. And you will not tell me what to do!!"

Hiashi rage was truly something to behold. This time, both saw the slap coming, but neither was prepared for the impact. This time Hiashi had infused his blow with chakra. When it hit, his chakra-laden fingers raked across her face, leaving behind bloody lines. Gasping, Hinata took the blow, but defiantly stood, despite having to cling to Kiba to keep from collapsing.

"You insignificant piece of trash." Hiashi spat out the words. "You sad, miserable excuse for a daughter. My only joy is knowing that you will soon be married and I'll never have to look at you again."

Kiba made to lunge at Hiashi, but Hinata held him back, shaking her head sadly.

"You're right." Hinata's said softly. "Soon I will be married, and I'll never have to see you again." She shook her head. "But I will never marry the man you chose for me. I am going to marry Inuzuka Kiba."

Hiashi had the nerve to laugh. "_Kiba?_ The pathetic dog-nin I see before me?"

Rage filled Hinata's eyes. "No. The strong, brave man here that _I_ see that is going to take me away from this terrible place forever!" She smiled painfully. "Father, I renounce the Hyuuga clan. From this day on I am Inuzuka!"

As the weight of these words settled in, Hiashi's face morphed, his eyes clearly spelling out _traitor_. He formed the Juken fighting stance, his body emitting chakra that was filled with malicious intent.

The next few moments went by in a blur.

All Kiba remembered was watching Hiashi come at them, easily recognizing the style that Hinata had practiced so often while training. Kiba was prepared to grab Hinata to jump out of the way, but before he could move, Hiashi was gone. Completely confused, Kiba quickly glanced around. The Hyuuga was not coming at them from any side. He looked down at Hinata. She was staring at her hands in bewilderment.

"Hinata… Where… where did your father go?"

She slowly pointed. Where the door to the main house had once been there was a now a Hiashi-sized hole. Together, they moved forward, going up the steps into the house. Inside, tables, cushions, and tapestries were thrown about. There was a long gouge in the floor, leading straight from the front door to the back of the room, where Hyuuga Hiashi lay, half way through the other wall.

Hinata ran towards him. "Father! Father are you alright??"

There was no answer. The Hyuuga was completely unconscious. Kiba looked around, awed and dazed. _What the hell had happened?_


	10. Chapter 10

"He'll be alright. He's unconscious now and he'll need a good deal of time to recover, but I've fixed any lasting damage." The Godaime, Tsunade, sank down on to one of the benches outside of an operating room inside the Konoha Hospital, obviously exhausted. Across from her, Hinata breathed a sigh of relief.

The two young ninjas had been quick to take Hiashi to the hospital. Fortunately, Tsunade was within reach, and had quickly aided the medic-nin in rushing Hiashi in for immediate treatment. Another nurse had set Hinata's face to healing while they waited for news. The angry lines across her face were gone, and the swelling had already started to go down. Hinata was glad for this. Tsunade looked like she was ready to hear some answers, and she really wasn't ready to talk about her face yet.

"So, do I need to ask, or will you just tell me?" Tsunade leaned back, crossing her arms. "I take it you and your father fought, but what I want to know is how you managed to get him into the condition he was." She shook her head in disbelief. "Hinata, every single one of your father's chakra points were closed. I honestly don't know how that didn't kill him. My only guess is that, as a Hyuuga himself, his body is somewhat used to that kind of brutal treatment. I'm sure he's had chakra points closed before. Not all at once, granted, but maybe that saved him. That and getting him immediate medical treatment."

Beside Kiba, Hinata had gone completely white.

"So, Hyuuga Hinata, what exactly happened?" Tsunade's voice was demanding, but Kiba could hear her wonderment and confusion as well. It matched his own. Hinata was saved from having to answer though, by the abrupt entrance of Hyuuga Neji, followed closely by his favorite teammate, Ten Ten.

"Godaime." Neji and Ten Ten nodded deeply to the Hokage. "We were informed that Hyuuga Hiashi had been injured."

Tsunade smiled. "Yes, but he is in stable condition now."

Neji nodded. "What happened?"

"That is a very good question. When he came in, all of his chakra points were closed. I was just asking Hinata how on earth that happened."

Neji's head snapped to look at his cousin, who was still shaking next to Kiba.

"_You??_" He asked in astonishment before shaking his head. "No. That cannot be. For all the times I have sparred with him, I have never been able to hit even five points."

Tsunade's eyebrows rose. "Is that so? Well, that is interesting, isn't it? So, Hinata: What happened?"

All of Hinata's bravery during that night had taken its toll on her. She was exhausted and could only shake her head slowly.

"I remember Father coming at us. I knew he wanted to hurt me. All I could think of was protecting Kiba, protecting me. And then he flew into the house."

Tsunade didn't look convinced. "I suppose we'll have to wait until Hiashi wakes up to hear what he has to say. Although I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't remember anything." She sighed. "Look, Hinata, go home. Get some rest, and see if you can't work out exactly what happened. Let me know what you find out."

Hinata nodded in agreement and let Kiba help her stand. She collapsed into him, so he picked her up, cradling her in his arms. Tsunade's eyes narrowed as she watched.

"Kiba. Take Hinata home and report back to me. I believe I have some things to talk to you about."

"Hai, Godaime." He made his way to an open window and jumped out, his chakra-covered feet headed towards the Inuzuka house.

--

He had left her tucked into his bed. Akamaru kept watch from his post beside the sleeping nin, while Kiba's mother and sister looked in from time to time, making sure she was still alright.

Kiba, on the other hand, returned quickly to the Hokage's office. The sooner he could get this over with, the sooner he could return to his brave little _hime_.

He was ushered immediately into the Hokage's office. Tsunade sat stoically behind her desk, Neji nearby. Shizune also stood close at hand, her arms full of scrolls and ledgers. He was surprised to see Naruto's mentor, Jiraiya was there, along with Kakashi, Azuma, and their own Kurenai-sensei.

"Inuzuka Kiba, we have some questions for you." He nodded in response. "Can you tell us any more about the incident that occurred earlier this evening?"

He groaned. He knew that was coming, but he couldn't really tell them any more than Hinata already had.

"No, Hokage. It happened in an instant. He was there, and then he wasn't. Hinata was looking at her hands, and Hiashi was through the wall."

The other members in the room stirred as he spoke.

"You say she stared at her hands?" Tsunade questioned. "Why?"

"I don't know."

She glanced over her shoulder at the other Sannin. "Does that sound right?"

He shrugged. "Could be."

Neji shook his head vehemently. "It is not possible! It has not happened in six generations! And even if it was possible… Hinata? There is no way."

Kiba's head was starting to spin with the conversations going on around him. "Will someone please tell me what's going on?"

Tsunade paused before answering.

"We've been going over possible scenarios to explain what happened tonight. At this moment, the most likely scenario is that Hinata has awakened a Kekkei Genkai, a Bloodline Limit."

Neji scoffed.

Kiba was confused. "Doesn't she already have one? Isn't the Byakugan a Bloodline Limit?"

"Yes… but we think she might have another." She scanned a book in front of her. "As best we can figure, it takes the Jyuuken, the Gentle Fist fighting style of the Hyuuga clan, and uses it as a base for unbelievably strong moves, moves that cannot merely be learned. Historically, one such move recorded is called the 'Gentle Wall.' It magnifies chakra into a solid form that forces itself through the body. You've seen Neji seal off chakra points, yes?" Kiba nodded. "It's like that, except that instead of needing to hit each point individually, it will seal off every chakra point in an instant. From what we've seen of it so far, it is safe to assume it could be a potentially fatal move. That's what we think hit Hiashi."

Neji shook his head again. "It is not possible. And even if it were, why would the Bloodline Limit wait this long to surface?"

Kurenai-sensei stepped forward. "Maybe it just needed a reason. She wanted to protect you, Kiba, right? Maybe that's all it took."

It was too much for Kiba to process.

"So what does this mean?" He had to ask.

"Mean?" Tsunade shrugged. "If she can control it, which we don't know that she can yet, it means that she could be an incredible force to be reckoned with. She'd be on ANBU for certain." She paused, wistful. "Jiraiya, imagine! One hit kills! It's not like anyone can train themselves to withstand attacks against the chakra system! Oh, the possibilities are endless!"

"That's not all, Godaime." Kakashi spoke up for the first time from his place by the wall. "Remember, the chakra points are not just about _stopping_ the flow of chakra. They're about _controlling_ the flow of the chakra. In theory, she should be able to increase someone's flow of chakra just as easily as she could stop it."

"You're right." Tsunade sat back heavily in her chair. "I hadn't thought about that, but you're right. I'm not sure what kind of consequences might come from that, but it could be extremely useful for short-term occasions."

"But it still seems highly unlikely that this _ability_ could simply appear!" Neji, the voice of reason broke in again. "And I've never even seen her use any advanced Hyuuga moves before, with the exception of the Jyuuken."

"Well, Kiba?" The Hokage addressed him. "Have you seen Hinata use moves like this before?"

_Moves like sealing off all the chakra points at once?_ It still barely registered in his mind that it was possible, let alone to think that Hinata did it! Thinking back through his time training with her though, he realized that Neji was wrong. He still remembered the adventure Team 8 had with Naruto, looking for the infamous Scent Bug. The bee-users that had kidnapped them had summoned the Queen of all Bees, and that vicious bug had been coming straight at them. Hinata had fought back, using the style she'd created. It _had_ been like a wall, now that he thought about it. Only, judging by the way her arms had been moving at the speed of light, she hadn't done it in one blow. Back then, they'd likened her new style to Neji's spin defense. Could that have been the beginning of the awakening of her Bloodline Limit?

"I've never seen her do anything like what you say she did tonight," Kiba began. Neji smirked at this. "But, Hinata has been steadily improving with her Byakugan, and I have seen her do some pretty incredible things."

Tsunade leaned forward, curious. "Things like what?"

Kiba told them of the battle with the bee-users. He told them about the rigorous training she'd put herself through. By the time he was done, every one in the room (except Neji, of course) seemed convinced.

"That settles it." Tsunade nodded after Kiba was done. "Tell Hinata to report to me as soon as she has recovered. We'll put her through some tests, and see if we've found ourselves a new prodigy. You're free to go."

--

Hey all!!! Thanks for reading! You all rock! I am SO sorry for the delay in getting this chapter out, but my hard drive crashed over the weekend. I was really really lucky and I got everything back, but take my advice: Back up your files or you'll regret it later!!!


	11. Chapter 11

Kiba took the long way out of the Hokage's Tower, needing some time to think. He didn't have long though before Neji appeared beside him, matching his stride. Kiba looked over at him, curious, but Neji remained silent. They walked quietly through the empty streets of Konoha.

"Do you think it's true?" Neji's voice was soft.

Kiba glanced over at him. "That Hinata has another Bloodline Limit? I suppose it's possible."

Neji's face darkened. "I… I don't understand. She was so weak… I am the Hyuuga prodigy! And I've never been able to defeat Hiashi-sama like that! How on earth could she?"

Kiba stopped in the middle of the street. Neji's voice wasn't malicious or cold, just completely bewildered.

Kiba shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe Kurenai-sensei was right. She believed enough in herself, and that's all it took."

Neji heaved a sigh. "Why won't that work for me? It works for Naruto, and Lee, and now Hinata. I had always believed that fate controlled our destinies- that it created geniuses and losers. But now? All of those 'losers' are doing incredible things and… and I just don't know anymore."

Next to him, Kiba stood quietly. He'd never seen Neji lose his composure like this before, and he really didn't know what to say.

"I've tried to believe the way they do, that anyone can accomplish their dreams, but I am cursed. No matter how hard I try, I will always have a point beyond which I cannot cross." Neji sighed again. "If only I had been born into the Head Family..." His voice trailed off, as if he had just realized he was speaking aloud. He turned, his eyes narrowed at Kiba.

"Forget all I have just said." Neji's voice was calm and controlled again. "The events of the day have clearly interfered."

Kiba grinned reassuringly. "No problem."

"Well then." Neji turned towards the direction of the Hyuuga manor. "I will relay Tsunade's message along to Hinata once I get back to the Main House. Thank you for your assistance today."

"…uh…"

Neji stopped again, hearing the hesitation in his voice.

"She _is_ at the Hyuuga House, is she not?" Neji turned puzzled eyes to Kiba.

Kiba reddened.

"Um, not. I took her back to Inuzuka House. My mother and sister are caring for her."

The surprise Neji felt was evident in his words. "At your house? Why did you not take her back to Hyuuga House?"

"Well…" How was he supposed to tell Neji that Hinata had renounced the Hyuuga clan in order to marry him? Oh well. Honestly was supposed to be the best policy, right?

As he explained the events of the afternoon, Neji shocked Kiba once again.

He laughed.

Not bitterly, or mockingly. A deep, real laugh (it kind of scared Kiba), that lit up Neji's stoic face with mirth.

"Truly?" He finally managed to ask. "Hinata stood up to her father and renounced? That's amazing! I wish I would have been there!" He shook his head in pleased disbelief. "If anyone deserves to defeat Hiashi, it's Hinata. She's truly taken the brunt of his wrath all these years. And if it took her getting a Bloodline Limit to do it, then that is alright with me." He smiled again, and dropped his head in a respectful bow. "And may I offer my congratulations to you both. I am honored for you to marry my cousin."

"Um, thank you!" Kiba responded, stunned. "It's nice to get at least someone's approval!"

Neji smiled again. "I must say I am relieved that you are marrying her, and not that idiot cousin Hiashi engaged her to. Or me, for that case." He frowned. "Hinata is a nice girl, but I never relished the idea of marrying her."

Kiba grinned at that. "She said the same about you."

Neji smiled good-naturedly, but concern soon made its way on to his face.

"Kiba…" Neji's voice was soft. "If it is indeed true that Hinata has awakened an additional Bloodline Limit, you need to understand that she will not be allowed to leave the Hyuugas. In fact, with the immense power that she will have gained, I would be surprised if they did not make her the leader of our clan."

_What??_ Kiba was sure his heart had stopped for a moment. _How was this possible??_ Just hours before, his tender little mate had decided to abandon her dreams of one day ruling in order to be with him, and now it was looking a lot like her sacrifice was in fact only her gain.

"But…" Neji went on. "Should it prove to NOT be true, well…" He paused uneasily. "She won't be allowed to leave the clan unscathed."

"What do you mean?" Kiba all but growled.

"The Hyuugas guard the secret of the Byakugan very closely." His hand went to his forehead, slowly removing his Konoha protector. "If they do not kill her for leaving, they will give her this." He revealed the green curse mark marring his face. "It will bind much of her power, and will allow her to be controlled by the Head Branch. Listen, Kiba: until they are able to decide exactly what happened to Hiashi, I suggest that you both be on alert at all times." He retied his forehead protector. "I know only too well the effects of this curse. Despite my unfavorable opinions of the Head Branch, I… I don't want Hinata to have to suffer the same way I have."

Kiba, stunned at the information Neji was telling him, could only nod.

"Good." Neji turned back towards the mansion again. "I am depending on you, Inuzuka."

--

The sun was just rising as Kiba crested the hill looking over Inuzuka House. He sighed happily. There was just nothing like coming home, no matter how long you'd been away. As he followed the path down, the Inuzuka nin-dogs came out to meet him, their barks bringing Tsume, Kiba's mother, to the door of the main house.

"How is she?" Kiba was quick to ask. His mother smirked at his concern.

"She's just fine. She's been sleeping soundly the entire time you were gone. Hana's sitting with her right now."

"Good." He took off his shoes to enter the house.

"Kiba, wait…" Tsume reached out for him. "What exactly happened?"

Kiba shrugged. "We don't really know yet. Tsunade thinks that maybe it's new Bloodline Limit, but-"

"That's not what I meant." Tsume cut him off. "I mean _why is Hyuuga Hinata in your bedroom? _Kiba, what happened on your mission?"

Kiba grinned, the tips of his ears going red.

"She loves me."

Tsume gasped. She needed no other confirmation. The look on her little boy's face said it all.

For years Tsume had stood back and watched her son watch the timid Hyuuga heiress. Honestly, she probably realized that Kiba was in love before he did, although, truth be told, she thought his infatuation would fade. _Hoped_ it would fade. If all was right in the world, every one would get the one they loved, but the world is not fair. Tsume knew that that uptight Hyuuga Hiashi would never let his first born marry her son, and she had wanted to spare him from that heartache.

But she was wrong. Kiba's infatuation never did fade. She had been increasingly worried in the last few years as she watched her baby struggle with the unrequited love that had consumed him so many years before. Every mission they went on, every training session they had… it was sick. No one deserved that kind of acute torture.

But now…? His love was returned? It must be. Kiba was very nearly radiating happiness, despite the fatigue that was slowly taking over. But how??

"Kiba…" She had no words to say, so she pulled him into a great hug. "My Kiba… you deserve this." She whispered before she let him go and pushed him towards his room. "Now, go to her. Get some rest. We'll talk later."

The tired nin nodded. He let his feet carry him towards the open door of his room, where his sister sat with Akamaru. Hana put one finger to her lips as he approached. He nodded silently as she stood, walking towards him. She pulled him into the hallway, her voice soft.

"She's fine. She's just exhausted. You can go in, just make sure you don't wake her up."

"No problem. I'm going to try to get some sleep too. Thanks for watching her for me, sis."

Hana smiled. "Kiba… Akamaru says you're engaged. Congratulations."

"Aww, spoiling my secrets, are you, boy?" Kiba bent down to pet the little dog's head. "Thank you, sis."

She nodded again and Kiba went into his room, his heart softening at the sight that greeted him. Hinata, so small in his bed, was curled up to one side, her hands pulled up to her face and her hair draped gracefully across the pillow. Kiba sighed regretfully. He would have loved to have stood there and watched her sleep, but his eyelids were almost glued shut already. He tiptoed in and slid under the covers next to her. As his eyes drifted shut, he could only sigh in contentedness.

_This must be what heaven's like…_


	12. Chapter 12

It seemed like he had only just fallen asleep when he was woken again by the sound of angry voices. Fortunately Hinata was still sleeping, so he got up to see what was happening. He left his room, crossing through the family room to the front porch. His mother and sister were standing in the doorway, all of the nin-dogs around their feet.

"What's going on?"

Tsume and Hana turned quickly at his voice, letting Kiba see past them. In the front yard of the house stood half a dozen angry old men. He'd never seen them before, but there was no mistaking the pearly eyes. Looking again, he noticed Neji off to the side, his head drooping and eyes bloodshot.

"We DEMAND to see Hyuuga Hinata now! You have no right to keep her!" One of the angry old men was shouting. "She is _ours_! Step aside!"

"No. She is not _yours_." Tsume announced calmly. "And you do not have any right to enter my house. I'll ask you again: Please leave now."

"We will not leave until we get Hyuuga Hinata." Another old man yelled. "She has attacked one of our own, and she will be judged for her actions."

"Absolutely not." Hana was calm as well. "She has done nothing wrong. And we will not let you have her."

"It doesn't matter anyway." Kiba stepped out onto the porch. "Hyuuga Hinata is not even here."

"What?" The first old man narrowed his Byakugan eyes. He turned to Neji. "You said she was here! Did you lie to us?" He raised a hand and Neji grabbed his head, screaming in agony.

"Wait! Stop!!!" Kiba shouted frantically. _Is this what Neji meant about the curse? _The men turned to him, releasing their brutal mental attack on Neji. "What I meant was that _Hyuuga_ Hinata isn't here. Inuzuka Hinata is."

"_Inuzuka_ Hinata? What nonsense is that?" The old men looked nothing short of pissed. "Whatever she is calling herself, send her out now!"

"No." Kiba shook his head. "She is staying here. She has renounced Hyuuga. That means that this is not a clan dispute. If you want justice, you'll have to go through the Godaime Hokage."

The old men looked very much like they wanted to kill him, but Neji was smiling through his pain. He nodded in approval. Apparently that was exactly the right thing to say. The old men looked around at each other, at the Inuzuka's, and back at each other again.

"Fine. We will go to the Hokage, but we WILL get Hinata. Mark my words." They left in a huff, Neji dragging along behind them.

Back at the house, the three Inuzuka's looked at each other.

"Well… that was interesting." Hana said slowly. "They will be back though. What happens then?"

Kiba shook his head. "I don't think Tsunade will let them have her. If she does though, they'll have to go through me. They won't lay a hand on her."

On the other side of the wall, Kiba heard a soft, gasping sob. He looked around the corner to see Hinata, tears in her eyes.

"Hey… what's-" He was cut off by Hinata, who had flung herself into his arms.

"T-thank you." She whispered in his ear. "I love you so much!"

"Oh, Hina…" He hugged her tightly. "I love you too. Don't worry. I won't ever let them harm you again."

She nodded, relaxing in his arms. The moment was broken though, by a loud rumbling from Hinata's stomach. She blushed, but Kiba threw back his head laughing.

"I guess I don't need to ask you if you want something to eat, do I?" He took her by the hand. "Come on. Let's get you some breakfast."

--

A nice breakfast of rice and miso later, Kiba and Hinata went out to walk through the Inuzuka grounds. Kiba didn't know how to tell her about what the Godaime thought had happened, so he opted for the most direct approach again.

"Hinata…" She looked up at him with her big pearly eyes.

"Yes?"

"While you were sleeping, I went back to see Tsunade." She nodded and he went on. "She thinks that _you_ are the one that sent your father through the wall. She thinks you have awakened another Bloodline Limit." He hesitated, trying to gauge her reaction. To his surprise, she nodded again.

"I think she might be right," She looked down at her hands. "I _feel _different than before. Like all of a sudden, I understand my chakra more. Like I can mould it any way I want." She paused, trembling. "Kiba, I feel _powerful_. And it frightens me."

"Can… can you show me?" Kiba asked, even though he wasn't sure if he should.

"I can try." She stepped away from him, looking around them. Far above them, a leaf was gently falling. Hinata closed her eyes for a moment, reopening them with her Byakugan. She raised her arm, her hand snapping open.

The leaf exploded.

Neither of the nins could believe what had just happened. Hinata sunk to her knees on the forest floor. Kiba sat next to her, putting his arm around her.

"Wow." He shook his head. She was shaking again. "I mean, really… wow!" He turned her in his arms. "You know what this means, don't you?"

"W-what?"

"Hinata!" He grinned at her. "You could take over your clan with this!"

Her mouth opened and closed slowly, processing that.

"Hinata," He smiled again. "Hinata, Tsunade already wants to make you ANBU." He watched her blink in disbelief. "It's true. _Hime_, this means _your_ dream is coming true. You made mine come true, and now yours is coming true too."

Big tears welled up in her eyes as that sunk in.

"Tsunade does want to see you though. She wants to see what you can do." He paused. "Are you ready for that? Do you think you need more time?"

"No." Her voice was soft, but confident. "I want go see her now." She stopped, as if she was finally really realizing the magnitude of what had just happened. "Kiba… my dream is coming true!" She leaned forward, quickly kissing him in happiness.

Kiba grinned at her elation, pulling her back in for a decent kiss. He threaded his fingers through her soft hair, marveling that he was actually able to do this. She was quick to respond, her own hands pressed up against his chest. Kiba growled possessively, moving one hand down to her back to pull her close to him. Hinata sighed softly, letting her tongue peek through her mouth to touch his lips. Kiba froze for a moment. _Had she really…?_ He closed his eyes, kissing her like his life depended on it.

Too quickly, though, Kiba knew he had to stop. Her breathless little sighs and warm body tucked up against his were driving him crazy. He gently sat her back, his blood boiling at the sight of her kiss-swollen lips. He groaned, running a hand through his hair.

"I think I need to marry you today!"

She giggled, her laugh doing nothing to help him in his current predicament.

"Let's go see Tsunade then!" She smiled again, teasing him.

"That's a great idea! Let's go!" He grabbed her hand and they ran out of the woods laughing.

--

"Tsunade, we want to get married today."

The Godaime looked up from her books at the two smiling shinobi in her office.

"Excuse me?"

Hyuuga Hinata and Inuzuka Kiba were standing in from of her desk. Kiba was grinning, and Hinata looked just embarrassed enough that she realized they weren't completely serious. Which was good, because she had enough to deal with already.

"Uh huh. Sure. And I'd like a vacation. But we don't always get what we want, do we?" She smiled at Kiba's disgruntled expression. Now, on to business…

"So, Hyuuga Hinata… you've been busy in the last few days." She folded her hands under her chin. "Care to talk about it?"

To her surprise, Hinata met her gaze head on.

"Hai, Godaime. Kiba says you think I might have awakened a Bloodline Limit." Tsunade nodded the affirmative. "I believe it is possible. I feel stronger than I did before."

"Stronger?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Stronger how?"

"Well, like I make my chakra do whatever I want." She ducked her head. "That sounds silly, I know."

Tsunade sat back in her chair. "Not really. But I'd like to see what you can do. Have you experimented with it yet?"

Hinata nodded shyly.

"And? What happened?"

"I made a leaf explode."

"You made a leaf explode. Care to expand on that?"

"Hina, you could probably do it again. Do you want to show her?" Kiba asked her quietly. Hinata debated for a moment, but finally shook her head yes.

Kiba took a blank piece of paper from the Hokage's desk and let it gently drop. Hinata focused again, and soon there was confetti covering the floor. Two times in one day was a lot though, and she leaned heavily up against Kiba.

Tsunade, on the other hand, was thrilled.

"Hinata, from this moment I want you to dedicate your time to developing this talent. I want you to see what you can do and I plan to keep up to date with your progress. Also, I don't plan on having you go on missions for a while. At least until you have some kind of idea of what you can do. Understood?"

"Hai, Godaime!"

Tsunade smiled slyly. "Kiba, if I let you help Hinata train, will I be making a mistake?"

"No, not at all!" Kiba was stunned at the opportunity the Hokage was giving him. Helping Hinata train meant that he would not be required to leave her for any reason. It was perfect!

"Good." She made some notes. "Then get to it! I expect a progress report by the end of the week. You are dismissed."

The two shinobi turned to leave, but Kiba remembered something.

"Uh, Godaime?" He asked her. "About Hiashi, and the Hyuugas…"

She waved him off. "Not a problem. There were some decrepit Hyuugas who came to see me, but I told them that Hinata was reporting directly to me."

Kiba grinned at the news. "Thank you, Godaime!" He turned again. "Oh, what about getting married?"

"Get out!" Tsunade rolled her eyes, grinning. "Ask me later."

--

"Kiba?"

Kiba, who had been pleasantly napping beneath one of the large trees surrounding one of the training grounds, regretfully cracked one eye open. Pink and blonde. _Dang it._

"Kiba?" They tried again. "What exactly is Hinata doing?"

He sat up to check. Hinata was in the same position as the last time he'd checked: sitting vaguely lotus style in the middle of the training grounds in a pile of leaves, her eyes shut. He shrugged at the curious girls standing beside him.

"She's training. Or sleeping. Not quite sure on that, but I'm not disturbing here in either case."

Akamaru barked his agreement.

"Oh…" Sakura sat down, confused. "How long has she been like that?"

Kiba looked at the sky, surprised to see the sun hanging low in the west. "Uh, all day, I guess."

"What??" Ino's screechy voice made Kiba want to cover his ears. "You mean she's been sitting there ALL DAY like that, and you don't know if she's asleep or not??"

"Nope." He put his hands behind his head, leaning back up against the tree. "Every now and then a leaf will explode. I figure that she's still awake then."

Right on cue, a leaf drifted down from one of the big trees. About six feet off the ground, right before their eyes, it disintegrated.

"Nice shot, Hina!" Kiba called over to her. "You got that one!"

Hinata nodded slightly before resuming her previous motionlessness.

Ino and Sakura, on the other hand, were completely flabbergasted. Kiba turned to them, grinning.

"Cool, huh? She doesn't get them all, but she's hit, oh… about half of them now. She's getting better." He laughed at their expressions. "Don't worry. You'll get used to it." He looked up at the sky again. "Actually, it is getting pretty late…" He stood slowly and walked over to where Hinata was sitting.

"Hey, babe?" He gently rested his hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him, her eyes tired. "It's probably time to call it a day. Let's get you home and get some food in you."

She nodded, exhausted.

"Kiba?" She asked softly. "Will you carry me?"

He grinned again. "Any time you want!" He reached down and Hinata put her arms around his neck, letting him pick her up like she weighed nothing. She gently kissed his cheek before tucking her head against his chest, asleep. He glanced over to where Ino and Sakura were still standing, unbelievable shock registering across their faces.

"Well, good night, I guess!" He smiled warmly at them and took off, Akamaru close behind. He heard the delayed shrieks moments after they left, and he couldn't help but feel like gloating. Everyone in Konoha would know about him and Hinata by the end of the day.

That thought made him very happy.

----------------

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	13. Chapter 13

The next two weeks that passed, Kiba could truthfully say, were easily the happiest in his memory. The days were filled with grueling training, but the simple fact that he was training with the girl he loved (who loved him back) meant that every second of it was bliss.

On the other side, the rate that Hinata was progressing astounded even the Hokage. She had long since graduated from cutting leaves to cutting through twigs, small branches, and finally right through a sapling at a distance, using only her chakra. She had managed to put a sizable gash in a slab of concrete, but that took so much out of her that she was in bed for the next day and a half. Regardless of the drain it put on her, she trained harder than Kiba had ever seen.

It wasn't all sunshine and roses, though. The training duo often felt the cold eyes of Hyuuga elders silently observing their progress. Tsunade had made it clear that they were not allowed to interact with the 'errant Hyuuga,' as they'd termed her, but she had not suspended their viewing rights. In some ways, Kiba thought this was a good thing. He liked that they were watching her become stronger than all of them. They'd treated her so badly, but now she was passing them all up.

Hyuuga Hiashi never came.

Tsunade said he'd been released from the Konoha hospital a week earlier, but that he had headed straight home to the Hyuuga compound, with no word on that fateful evening or his daughter. Neji, their spy of sorts, reported that Hiashi was moving slower than before, and that there was new grey in his hair and new lines on his face, but he never asked about Hinata. This didn't bother Kiba as much as he thought it would though, because he knew that he heard about everything that Hinata was doing anyways. This they knew because Neji was also, unwillingly, a spy for the Hyuuga's as well. He tried to hide it, but more and more he would show up for practices with the unmistakable bloodshot eyes that came from the excessive use of the curse.

* * *

The night it happened was nothing short of perfect. Still and beautiful, the giant full moon cast shimmering slivers of light through the trees. It had been a long day of training, and Kiba had been asleep in his room, Akamaru curled up in a ball beside him. Maybe it was the intense training. Maybe it was a final realization of many years. Maybe there was just magic in that night. For whatever reason, when Hinata burst into his room, her white nightgown flowing gently in the moonlit breeze like an ethereal goddess, Kiba saw her eyes were flicked with something new.

Power.

Even in his half-asleep state, he recognized it. He sat up slowly, desperately attempting to make sense of what was going on.

"Kiba," She'd whispered. "I need to find Neji."

"Wha-?"

"Neji. I have to find him."

He'd gotten up quickly, still not understanding, but willing to do whatever she asked. They'd left immediately, not bothering with shoes or to change from their night clothes. Like two phantoms, they'd skipped over the sleeping houses of Konoha to the Hyuuga complex.

They'd masked their chakra and Hinata led them over a back wall of the vast Hyuuga mansion. She led them through winding white hallways and woven floor mats to a sliding door in one of the smaller houses just off the main house.

They didn't have to wait long. Neji, like the seasoned shinobi he was, had recognized their presence immediately and quietly slid his door open, confusion evident on his face.

"Hinata-sama…?"

She held up one finger to her lips, gesturing for his silence. He nodded, and followed her lead back out of the house. Kiba glanced over at Neji, realizing with surprise that he'd never seen the fierce Hyuuga out of character before. Neji was wearing a pair of loose pajama pants, his trademark forehead protector gone. His curse mark nearly glowed in the brilliant light of the moon.

Hinata led them to a nearby training ground, coming to a quiet stop in the middle of the clearing, the two other shinobi dropping silently next to her.

"What is the matter, Hinata-sama?" Neji asked finally. "Is something wrong?"

"Neji," Hinata approached him, meeting his gaze head-on. "Do you trust me?"

That was not what either nin was expecting. Neji looked to Kiba, as if he could explain what Hinata was doing. Kiba shrugged. He was as puzzled at Hinata as Neji was.

"Yes," He finally answered. "Yes, I do."

Hinata smiled gently at her cousin. "Thank you, nii-san." She took a deep breath. "Neji, please trust me now."

"Hinata, wh…" Neji's question was cut off as Hinata placed her hands on either side of his head and closed her eyes in concentration. Neji's eyes widened a moment before they shut and he screamed.

"Hinata! What are you doing?!" Kiba ran over to the pair, shocked that his little mate was consciously inflicting pain on a person she cared about.

"I know what I'm doing." She whispered as she held on as Neji desperately tried to break away, pain limiting his struggles.

Kiba could only watch in horror as Neji writhed on the ground, Hinata relentless. But, slowly, so slowly, he finally realized that the glowing green on Neji's forehead was… disappearing?

Neji was no longer screaming, though his mouth was still open in pain. Hinata was panting heavily. What ever she was doing was definitely taking it out of her. After what seemed like an eternity, Hinata released her cousin's head, falling back into Kiba's waiting arms in an exhausted faint. Neji lay still on the ground.

* * *

The three sat under the canopy of the forest through the rest of the night, Kiba keeping careful watch over the two Hyuugas. As the edges of the horizon gradually started to lighten as the sun rose, Neji moved for the first time. Kiba gently lay Hinata down and went over to him, helping him sit up.

"Hey, how's your head?" Kiba asked, concerned. Neji paused, looking around him, clearly confused as to why he was in the forest.

"What happened?" He put a hand to his head. "I remember you and Hinata… Hinata!" He looked around the clearing, seeing his cousin out cold. "What did she do??"

Kiba shrugged. "I'm not sure, but your mark is gone." He pointed at the Hyuuga's bare forehead. Neji's eyes narrowed, and then widened again as the events of the previous night came rushing back to him. He placed two hesitant fingers against his forehead, disbelieving.

"I need a mirror! Inuzuka! Do you have a mirror?" Neji gasped, his hand covering where his mark once was.

Kiba looked at him, a sarcastic smile crossing his face. "Yeah, Hyuuga. I keep a mirror in my pocket. Oh, wait! That's in my other pants." He rolled his eyes before pointing into the forest. "There should be a lake over that way."

Muttering thanks, Neji ran into the woods. Kiba shook his head, laughing. Apparently taking away the curse also took away his common sense.

…_took away the curse…_

Had she really? It seemed utterly incredible to Kiba, but he couldn't deny that he believed she had. She'd done such amazing things in the past week. Why not reverse this? Neji's distant cry of elated shock definitely made it sound possible...

A low groan brought Kiba back to his senses. Hinata was slowly waking up, her eyes fluttering open. He went back to her, propping her up.

"Hey, beautiful," He kissed her eyelids. "How do you feel?"

She placed a gentle kiss on his cheek before sighing, "I want to go back to sleep."

"That can be arranged." He hugged her tightly, but suddenly found his arms empty.

Neji had run back into the clearing and was now hugging Hinata like his life depended on it, tears flowing down his face.

"Hinata-sama…" He was whispering. "I am forever in your debt. Hinata, thank you, _thank you_!"

Hinata reached up, tenderly wiping away his tears.

"No, nii-san. The only debt you owe me is to be happy. Be happy and be great, nii-san."

* * *

The three parted company, Kiba and Hinata heading back to Inuzuka House, Neji slipping back to Hyuuga House. They had decided not to mention anything about what had happened for as long as possible although, as Neji reminded them sarcastically, the Hyuuga elders would realize quickly that he was no longer under their power.

And he was right.

Kiba and Hinata heard about it the very next morning from Ino (who had heard from it from Sakura, who heard it from Ten-Ten, who had heard it from Hanabi, who had been there at breakfast when the elders found out). As Ino heard it, the elders had been demanding information from Neji. He had refused, like he always did, but this time nothing happened when they tried to force him. No screaming, no pain. They had ripped off his forehead protector, speechless when they saw nothing but clear skin where their curse once was.

"And then they wanted to put it right back on…" Ino was still talking, and didn't notice Hinata's gasp. _Of course they'd put it right back on! What were they thinking, letting him go back?_

"… but then- _and you'll never believe this, Hina_- your dad was like, "No. There is no reason to put it back. After all, he is a ninja worthy of the head family." And then he said he wanted to adopt him!"

"Wait, what??" Kiba caught that surprised announcement, despite the fact that Ino was chattering at 100 miles an hour.

"What did you say?" Hinata caught it too. Ino paused, confused.

"You mean you haven't heard this?" She grinned, realizing she had information they didn't know. The two shook their heads.

"_Well_…" Ino sighed dramatically. "Hiashi has decided that Neji is deserving of a position in the head family, and since he is his nephew, he's decided to adopt him."

"Do… do they want him to take over the clan?" Hinata's voice was soft.

Ino stopped, taken aback. "I-I don't know. They didn't say."

Kiba was silent. Would they really do that to Hinata? Take away her dream when she was so close to achieving it? He thought back to the old Hyuugas that had stood outside his house just a few weeks ago, demanding that they turn over Hinata to them. Wanting to 'judge her for her actions.' They were traditionalists. They didn't take well to clan members that renounced. Plus, Neji was strong, capable and, thanks to Hinata, curse-free. Could they erase Hinata from the Hyuuga line and give her rightful position to her cousin? Would they really?

...yeah… they would…


	14. Chapter 14

Hinata and Kiba quietly sat eating dango in one of the small, open air restaurants in downtown Konoha. Although Kiba was sure Hinata should talk about the possibilities that Ino had brought to light, he was going to let her talk in her own time. And, right now, she was silent. He sighed. It was mind-boggling how quickly things were happening! Just a few short weeks previous to this, they had just been teammates. Nothing more. Now? They were engaged, she was the proud new owner of a Bloodline Limit that defied reality, she had renounced her clan, single-handedly reversed her cousin's birthright curse, and now might be facing attempts on her life by the elders of her ex-clan. He shook his head. It was just like the old adage: When it rains, it pours.

"Hinata-sama."

The duo looked up, shocked at the voice that greeted them.

"N-Neji-nii-san?" Hinata spoke for the first time since she'd heard the news.

"May I speak with you?" Neji bowed his head. "I feel I must inform you of some recent events that have occurred."

Hinata glanced nervously at Kiba, who merely shrugged in response. Finally, she nodded and Neji took a seat at the end of the table. A waitress approached their table, sensing the new customer, but Neji waved her away impatiently, immediately wanting to begin.

"I feel it is not too much to assume that you have heard rumors of this morning, am I correct?"

Hinata's voice was soft. "I understand you are to be adopted into the Head Family. Congratulations, nii-san."

"Thank you, Hinata-sama." He paused, debating about how to continue. "There is more, however…"

"They want you to be the new clan leader." Hinata whispered.

Neji looked at her in shock. "H-How did you hear of this so soon?"

"We guessed." Kiba spoke up from the other side of the table. "It only makes sense. They don't like Hinata much up at the Main House right now. Why wouldn't they jump at the chance for a strong replacement? Right, Hyuuga?"

Neji ignored the barbs in Kiba words. "I suppose I do understand the logic behind that," he nodded. "But, Hinata-sama, you can't have actually believed I would do it!"

It was Hinata's turn to look surprised. "What do you mean?"

Byakugan eyes met Byakugan eyes.

"Hinata-sama, you are the one that removed my curse. You have given me a chance at the life I've always wanted. How could I possibly rip away your dreams from you in return? I would sooner have the curse restored than to take clan leader away from you." He sighed deeply. "It is for this reason that I have followed your example. I too have abdicated. As of this morning, the only clan leader I will follow is you."

Hinata gasped. "No! I cannot let you do that!"

Neji smiled. "It is too late. I have already informed the clan. They have controlled my life for too long. For as long as I can remember, it had been my dream to be accepted as a full member of the Hyuuga clan, but now that I am free of their accursed seal, I find…" He sighed audibly. "I find that the last thing I want is to become a hypocrite by joining them. As a member of the head family, I will just be keeping other branch members from realizing their full potential. I refuse to do that."

Neji knelt in front of Hinata, deeply bowing his head. "Hinata- sama, I beg of you, please accept my request to join your clan."

It took only a moment for Hinata to make her decision, and soon she was pulling Neji up into a hug.

"Of course, Nii-san. I would be honored for you to serve me."

Kiba sat back, quietly watching this exchange between the long misunderstood cousins. It was unbelievable, really. He shook his head, thinking about what an emotional rollercoaster the last month had been for all of them. Incredibly though, it looked like things were going Hinata's way again.

--

As the days passed, Hinata's newfound skills were growing by leaps and bounds….

….and so was her new clan.

After Neji's astonishing move from the Hyuuga clan to Hinata's, it seemed like the entire branch family wanted to leave the clan too. It made sense though. Neji was the branch family's champion (which was mostly why Neji refused to become a head member), and they were pretty content to follow his lead. And Hinata, as kind-hearted as she was, would not refuse any of them. The Hyuuga leaders had been demanding to talk to her, but Tsunade had flatly refused their demands. As long as Hinata was training, they were not allowed to interfere. They argued that Hinata was interfering by stealing away half of their clan, but Tsunade said that since Hinata was not actively trying to draw them away, she was not at fault. That infuriated the elders, but their innate sense of superiority, knowing that the Hokage was above them, kept them from disobeying the Godaime's orders. So, thanks to the enigmatic Tsunade, Hinata and Kiba spent their days far away from the cold, disapproving eyes of the Hyuuga elders.

It took them by surprise then when two familiar and completely unexpected chakra-signatures struck them during training deep in the Konoha woods. Hinata, recognizing them immediately, stopped mid-swing, while Kiba and Akamaru, bouncing through the trees, landed quickly to stand by her side.

Hyuuga eyes peered at them through the clearing, one set cold, unblinking, while the other watched curiously.

"F-Father?" Hinata gasped. She hadn't seen her father since the fateful night when she had put him in the hospital. Yet, here he was. He looked no worse for wear, with the exception of some subtle wrinkles that had appeared on his stoic face.

Behind Hiashi stood Hinata's biggest rival. Not by her choice, naturally. No, this rivalry was created by the will of the Hyuuga elders. And there she was, Hyuuga Hanabi, the gifted little sister. It was sad, really. Although Hinata might have once envied Hanabi's skill, she still held nothing but love for the sister that she'd been compared to since Hanabi started walking. She'd never had the chance to be the big sister. Once the elders decided Hanabi was a more suitable candidate for Hyuuga clan leader, Hinata had been kept away, as if her timidity would rub off and corrupt their new choice. It made Hinata appreciate the Inuzukas just that much more. She loved to watch Kiba and his older sister Hana together. She imagined that that might have been her and her sister, possibly, in another time and place…

But this was here and now.

Hinata stood up straight, full of the confidence that had been growing little by little since her Genin years, jumpstarted by the handsome nin at her side.

"Why are you here, Father?" Her voice was strong and clear, and inner Hinata cheered that she hadn't stuttered at all.

Hiashi's eyebrows rose. He had heard that his oldest daughter had changed since he last saw her, but it was a complete shock to actually experience it. It was on the tip of his tongue to chastise her for daring to address him in that tone, but he stopped, strangely amused. As ridiculous as he might find it, Hinata had renounced the Hyuugas, and was the newly proclaimed clan leader of the branch members that left Hyuuga. In terms of Konoha's chain of command, she was his equal in every way. He had absolutely no right to stop her from speaking to him in any way she wanted. So, he swallowed his words and stepped into the clearing.

"I come to offer you a challenge."

"A challenge?" Hinata fought the urge to panic, and instead met her father's icy gaze head on. "What kind of challenge?"

Hiashi smirked. "It will be a battle between you and the Hyuuga's chosen opponent. The winner will be the last one standing."

"Chosen opponent? And who is that?"

Hiashi pulled Hanabi out from behind him. "Hyuuga Hanabi will be fighting for the Hyuuga clan."

Hinata suppressed a shudder of horror. She remembered only too well her fight with her cousin, Neji, at the Chunnin exams. They weren't even on good terms, but it had been hard enough to fight him. Could she really fight her sister?

"And the stakes?" She asked cautiously, slightly afraid to hear the answer.

Hiashi's smile was a little forced this time.

"Full control of the Hyuuga clan."

--

Kiba and Hinata sat silently up against the trunk of one of the large trees that hadn't yet been destroyed by Hinata's rigorous training. She had told her father that she would consider his challenge and give him a reply by the end of the day, but the sun had been steadily sinking and the trees were casting long shadows and she still hadn't made a decision.

They had talked about the pros and cons of accepting the challenge. Pro? She could probably win, she could reunite her clan, and rule as full leader. Con? If she lost, all of those in her fledgling clan would be forced back into the clan they hated, and probably punished. She'd seen the effects of the curse all too often, and she couldn't let that happen to them. Of course, possible death was always a con, and she really didn't want to hurt her sister. She'd agreed with Kiba on the point that being a ninja automatically meant possible death, so that one was out, but it still meant there were two cons up against the pro. Was the pro good enough to outweigh the cons?

She sighed heavily, and Kiba pulled her into his arms, gently kissing her head.

"I know, babe. It's not an easy choice." He pulled back to look her in the face, grinning. "But I know you. You'll make the right choice."

Hinata nuzzled his neck in silent appreciation.

"I don't want to hurt her, Kiba."

"I know. And you know you'll have to."

"Yes. But I could put the clan back together."

"Yep."

"I don't know what to do."

"I know."

"Hinata-sama?" A voice broke through the clearing.

"Neji?" Hinata sat up, puzzlement in her voice.

"Sorry to bother you, Hinata-sama, but…"

"You know about the challenge."

Neji nodded. "What do you plan to do?"

"I…" She looked back at Kiba, who shrugged. "I'm still weighing my options."

Neji had been expecting that.

"Well, you are the only one that can make this decision, but I would like to tell you that your clan stands firmly behind you. No matter what happens, we are indebted to you." He paused, thoughtful. "You are truly amazing, Hyuuga Hinata. You deserve to be clan leader. And I think your father finally recognizes that."

"My fa-…, what do you mean?"

Neji smiled. "Hiashi-sama knows of your progress. He has experienced it first hand. He knows you've surpassed Hanabi in skill. I believe he's giving you the opportunity to prove that to everyone. Plus, he knows that the Hyuuga elders will never let you back in, even if you begged them. Taking them as spoils of battle is the only way he can get you back into the clan."

Hinata exhaled slowly as that sunk in.

"Wow…" She turned to Kiba. "Do you think he's right?"

Kiba nodded slowly. "It sounds about right. This really might be his way of acknowledging you."

"Acknowledging me…" Hinata stood, firm determination blazing in her pearly eyes. "I'll do it. This is my chance, and I'm going to take it. I'm going to beat Hanabi. I'm going to take the clan. And I'm going to show everyone that I am worthy to be the leader of the Hyuugas."

* * *

It's been ages since I've updated, but school is finally over and I'm back! For anyone still reading, I'm planning on finishing this story in the very near future. In any case, drop me a line! I love to hear what you all think! And be looking for a new chapter sometime soon!


	15. Chapter 15

The morning of the Battle of the Hyuugas came slowly for Hinata, who spent the entire night awake, thinking on the events that were to come in just a few hours. Kiba had tried to get her to rest, but her nerves overpowered her sleepiness. At her request though, Kiba lay quietly sleeping next to her. She listened carefully to his sleeping breaths, trying to center herself, breathing slowly with him. She wished she could sneak out to the waterfall in the woods to train like she used to, but the knowledge that she'd probably need all the chakra she had for the battle kept her still.

She wondered what Hanabi was doing just then. Was she sleeping like Kiba? Confident and composed? Or was she a bundle of nerves, sleep evading her? In the end, it really didn't matter, because it wasn't about Hanabi. It was about her, and whether or not she'd be able to defend herself and her clan. Hanabi would be ready to fight with her all- she always was- but if Hinata couldn't, well, she might as well give up now.

Just over the trees Hinata could see the skyline turning a dusky pink, a sure sign of the sun rising. With the sun woke the dogs, stretching and playfully nipping at each other. Kiba, like the nin-dogs he loved, rose too, mirroring Akamaru as they stretched their sleeping arms and legs. Hinata giggled, and Kiba opened one eye, his lazy grin matching hers as he pulled her close.

"Good morning, my beautiful _hime._" He whispered in her ear. "Did you sleep at all?"

Hinata shook her head. "No." She sighed softly. "I don't think I'm any more ready to hurt Hanabi, but I am sure that this is the right thing to do. I want all of this needless fighting to stop, and I think I'm prepared to make that happen."

"Good." Kiba nuzzled her neck, gently inhaling. "Mmm… Hinata, you always smell so good…"

Hinata giggled, turning around to place a soft kiss on her handsome fiancé. "How do you always know exactly what to say?"

Kiba offered her his biggest grin, smiling into their kiss.

"Eh hem…" The sound of Hana clearing her throat stopped them short. Kiba rolled his eyes in annoyance before turning to his sister in the doorway.

"What do you want?"He asked brusquely. "Can't you see that we're busy?"

Hana smiled mischievously. "Oh yes, I can see that. But I thought you'd like to know that the location for today has been changed."

"C-Changed? To what?" Hinata stuttered.

When Hinata had finally decided to accept her father's challenge, she had sent word to the main house and was told that she and Hanabi would face off in one of the large training grounds just outside of the city gates. It was big enough for their fight, and was sufficiently out of the way of any major landmarks. They certainly didn't want to damage the city while battling.

"Well…" Hana paused, looking a little bit sheepish. "Apparently so many people want to see this fight that they moved it to the Battle Arena."

"What?!" Kiba and Hinata gasped. The last time either of them had been in the Battle Arena had been during the Chuunin Exams, forever ago. And from what she remembered, the Arena was huge! She still remembered sitting there with Kiba, cheering for Shino, ridiculously happy that she didn't have to fight in front of all those people. _All those people…_

"Hana," Panic was evident in Hinata's voice. "What do you mean 'so many people want to see this fight'?"

"Well…" Hana thought for a moment. "I'd imagine that all of the Hyuugas are going. After all, their clan leader is going to change after today. And Tsunade would have to go. She is the Godaime, you know. And if the Godaime is going, then that poison-specialist aide of hers is probably going, and that pink-haired girl from your class…"

"… and if Sakura is going," Kiba finished for his sister. "That means that anyone who is anyone will be there. And why wouldn't they want to be there? All anyone has talked about for this last month is your new Bloodline Limit. They all want to see your new stuff." He cursed softly before turning to grin at Hinata. "Well, at least this means you can show them all how far you've come!"

Hinata looked at him, her white eyes wide with terror. Her normally pale face was ashen, and she grasped Kiba's hand like a lifeline.

"K-Kiba…" She gasped. "I-I can't! Not in front of all those p-people!"

"What are you talking about?" Kiba asked, astonished. He met her gaze, but she glanced away.

"Hinata…" He grabbed her head in his hands, forcing her to look him in the eye. "Hinata, this is it. This is your chance. Don't you understand? All those people? They are there to see _you_. They are there to see what _you_ can do. The Godaime, Neji, Sakura, all our friends… they will be there to cheer for _you_!"

Kiba paused. He could tell she didn't believe him. _No…_ she didn't believe in herself…

Kiba took a deep breath. "Hinata, listen to me. I love you, so when I tell you this, I want you to know that I'm telling you the truth: Before now, back when we were Genin, there was no way that you would ever be able to defeat Hanabi. Not even on her bad days."

He paused again, taking in the hurt that pooled in her eyes. "Hinata, I'm sorry, but it's true." She sadly nodded in agreement.

"Hinata, I'm not done." She looked back up at him, a tear running down her face. "That's in the past, Hinata. Do you hear me? The past. Even back then, knowing she was stronger, you never gave up! Never! And do you know what, Hinata? Hanabi doesn't stand a chance against you now. She's strong, Hinata, she is. But you're stronger. And you're doing this for the right reasons."

Hinata nodded shakily, a hint of resolve forming behind the terror.

"Hinata, what are you always saying? About your way of the ninja?"

Her breath caught.

"Will you give up on your dreams and your clan… all of those people that are counting on you… because there are too many people watching?"

Kiba could see Hana smile from the doorway. _They got her…_

"Hinata," Kiba whispered. "Let them watch. Let the world watch. Let them watch because everyone will finally see what I've seen all along: that you're brave. You're smart. You're sweet. You're beautiful…" He punctuated each one with a gentle kiss on her cheeks and eyelids.

"And Hinata," He placed the last one on her lips. "You're the strongest girl I've ever met."


	16. Chapter 16

The streets of Konoha were quiet as the Inuzuka clan plus one made their way to the Battle Arena. Apparently everyone wanted a front row seat to 'The Hyuuga Battle Royale' (as was it termed by the shopkeepers who had closed early).

Hinata and Kiba left the rest of the Inuzukas just before the main entrance of the Arena, instead meeting up with Sakura, who was acting on behalf of the Godaime. She had flagged them down and ushered them to a side entrance that led to the lower level viewing areas used by the opponents. From off the viewing platform they could see the vast multitude of people who had turned out for the fight. Taking up most of the left section were the quiet Hyuugas, both head and branch members. Everywhere else was filled up with noisy villagers and shinobi, shouting and laughing. Above them on the top tier sat Tsunade, the Godaime herself, regally prepared to preside over the events of the day. Hiashi and the other Hyuuga elders sat beside her, their blank eyes cold and emotionless.

"Do you see Hanabi?" Hinata whispered to Kiba as they looked out over the crowd.

"She's waiting in another area," Sakura responded, her sharp ears picking up the question. "When you're ready to start, you'll both be brought out onto the field."

"Geez…" Kiba snorted. "This is turning into some kind of sporting event! Do half of these people even know why we're here?"

Sakura shrugged. "Probably not, but they seem to be rooting for you. Tsunade even has Shizune playing bookie on this fight!"

"Bookie??" Hinata gasped. "They're _betting_ on me?"

Sakura shrugged again. "It's Tsunade. She bets on everything. You know they don't call her the Legendary Sucker for nothing!" She glanced up at her shishou before winking at Hinata. "Just so you know, she's betting for Hanabi."

"She's betting _for_ Hanabi?" Kiba asked in disbelief. "As in, _against_ Hinata?"

Both were surprised to hear Sakura laugh.

"You don't understand," she giggled from behind her hand. "Tsunade-shishou is the worst gambler ever. Ever. If she bets one way, it's a guarantee the other will win. If she's betting for Hanabi, that's a clear sign she wants you to win. And if she has to lose all of her sake money for a month to make that happen, she'll do it for you." She glanced at her watch. "Well, it's time. Let me know when you're ready, and I'll let them know it's time to start."

Hinata nodded timidly. "I'm ready. If I wait any longer, I'll probably talk myself out of this."

Sakura smiled at that, but sent the word on to the top tier. Tsunade rose and quieted the crowd while Sakura led Hinata down the stairs to the field. Snippets of names and words floated down from above, but whatever the Godaime said was lost to Hinata. She was fighting the urge to fiddle with her fingers, fighting the urge to run.

From across the field, she finally saw her.

Hyuuga Hanabi. The little sister.

"…Listen, Hinata. We've been studying the medical records from your father," Sakura was saying. "So if you hit Hanabi with the same thing you hit him with, we've got a whole medical-nin team ready to take care of her. So go out there and do your best!"

Hinata managed to nod before Sakura pushed her out of the shelter of the stairs to the deafening roar of the crowd. Again the old habits tried to force their way out, but Hinata looked desperately up to the lower viewing deck. And there they were:

Red tattoos.

Fanged grin.

Eyes telling her everything she needed to hear.

"_Yes..." _She breathed deeply, her eyes dilating as she released her Byakugan. _"Yes. This is my way of the ninja."_

--

The crowd, once noisy and obnoxious, grew quiet as the two Hyuugas walked towards the middle of the arena. It was a strange sight, the two sisters. The dark hair and pale skin and eyes reflecting Hyuuga lineage seemed to be the only similarities between the two.

Hyuuga Hanabi, clad in the billowy traditional clothes of the clan, was petite and lithe, her young face confident and determined. With her sister a failure and her talented genius cousin an unqualified branch member, Hanabi had been the chosen one, groomed since her early years for the position of Hyuuga leader. Her rigorous training had been through private tutors of the highest caliber. The Hyuuga elders had made sure that she lived and breathed the traditions and fighting styles prized and envied throughout the shinobi nations. She was a fine tuned kunoichi, deadly and calm.

Hyuuga Hinata, on the other hand, simply… wasn't.

The oldest Hyuuga didn't share her sister's calm, education, or even physical aspects. Where Hanabi was lean and toned, Hinata was all curvy woman. Although she had at first had the same tutors as Hanabi, the elders had quickly recognized her inadequacies. She had been immediately handed off to Kurenai-sensei for an indifferent education.

She wasn't a fighting machine. She wasn't confident. And, other than the one accident that had first made her aware of her new powers, she'd never fought against anything that lived (other than trees) since then. Considering all these things, it was no wonder that Hyuuga Hinata was terrified.

But she was out there. And she was standing tall.


	17. Chapter 17

"Alright you two," Shiranui Genma, standing in the middle of the arena, greeted the Hyuugas from behind his ever present senbon. "I'm the referee for this match. First one unable to continue fighting loses." He shrugged. "If you want to kill each other, that's fine too, but all you need to do is get the other out of the running. Any questions?"

Both girls stood still, Byakugan eyes unblinkingly assessing the others.

"Whatever." He cocked his head to one side. "I'd have you guys shake hands or something, but I don't want you to do any Hyuuga funny business before hand." He glanced up at the top tier of the arena. "Tsunade made me promise that this would be a fair fight. You two got that?"

…nothing…

"Fine, fine. Just let me get out of the way before you clobber each other." He jumped backwards, a fairly safe distance away from the girls, and raised his hand, bringing it slashing down in front of him.

"Fight!"

The crowd sat perched on the edge of their seats, ready for all hell to break loose. But, it didn't happen. Instead, the two opponents remained perfectly still, silently facing off.

"What are they doing?" Kiba finally asked Neji, who had joined him in the viewing area. "Is this some kind of Hyuuga mind trick?"

"No," Neji answered slowly. "I think they're just… waiting."

"For what??"

--

'For what' was a good question. In fact, it was the same question Hinata was asking herself. _What was Hanabi waiting on?_ There was no way she was simply going to attack if Hanabi was just standing there. But that's just the thing. Hanabi hadn't moved a muscle, with the exception of the contracted veins spidering over her temples. Her eyes though- those pale, intuitive eyes- seemed to be consuming Hinata. They were looking at her… inside her… through her.

"H-Hanabi?" She finally whispered. Her sister did not respond. Hinata couldn't decide whether she expected that or not. Oh well, it didn't really matter. What mattered was that she had some things that she always wanted Hanabi to know. Maybe actually _telling_ her might not be a bad option. Fine then. If her sister wouldn't speak, then she would.

"H-H…" She stuttered over the name. _Goodness, this wasn't easy… _Mentally encouraging herself, she tried again.

_Courage, Hinata, courage. _

"Hanabi."

_Good! Good! Keep going!_

"Hanabi, I want you to know that… I'm glad that I'm fighting you."

Hanabi's eyes narrowed.

"Wait!" Hinata winced. "That didn't come out the way I meant. I mean, I am glad to be fighting _for _you. F-For the clan. I'm here because I want this to be the last fight, the one to put a stop all this fighting. I… I know I wasn't good enough before… but I'm ready now. I'm ready to lead the Hyuugas. I want to lead the Hyuugas. _I want to lead the Hyuugas_…"

Hanabi sighed softly. "I understand."

The shock Hinata felt by hearing those quiet words was matched by the shock she felt when she saw her sister take the unmistakable Hyuuga fighting stance.

"Alright, nee-sama. Prove it. Prove you should lead us. And do not hold back. I will not."

And with that, it began.

Hinata barely ducked Hanabi's well-aimed jab, but she spun away, just feeling the glancing wave of chakra brush across her skin. Her reaction was immediate, sending her own chakra-laded blows snapping towards the determined warrior across from her, Hanabi dodging them with ease. For those in the crowd (Hyuugas excepted), the fight was one big blur. Twisting bodies, chakra crackling in the air… it was strange to see such a low damage fight. Neither seemed to have even touched the other. Those who had seen a Hyuuga battle first hand before were few and far between, so most didn't realize that this fight wasn't about broken bones. Hyuugas fought against the chakra pathways, the internal organs, causing damage that you couldn't see. Even the glancing blows hurt, as they pushed chakra through the skin, making bones and muscles ache.

Hinata gasped as she evaded another barrage of punches. She was getting flustered, and that was not a good thing to be. Hanabi was a machine, precise and strong. Despite her quick dodging and avoidances, she was really starting to feel the burn of chakra hits through her body. Hanabi didn't even seem winded. Could she really beat that?

Then it hit her. _What was she doing_? She had been practicing for a solid month with her new abilities. Now, at the first chance to use them, she had reverted back to the traditional Hyuuga fighting styles. And of course she couldn't win using that! Hanabi was a pro, a genius in the traditional ways. Next to her little sister, she was little more than an idiot child attempting to copy the moves. She could duck most of them, sure, but she definitely wouldn't be able to land anything.

_So let's try something different…_

She sprang away from Hanabi, sliding backwards. Stopping a fair distance away, she took a deep breath, calling up all of her new knowledge, all the training she'd done. She closed her eyes, lost in picturing the trees, the leaves, the power she'd felt inside her…

Hanabi took advantage of Hinata's brief lapse in defense, running towards her, sending a hand glowing with chakra right towards her unprotected heart.

"_HINATA!!_" Kiba's voice from high above broke Hinata out of her trance, just in time to see Hanabi flying towards her. _She couldn't duck it!_ Her air left in a whoosh as the chakra forced its way through her heart and lungs. It was an unwelcome, familiar pain. After all, Neji had hit that exact same spot all those years ago during the Chunnin Exam. Warm, coppery blood flew up through her lungs, spattering on the ground in front of her. The crowd roared in protest. This couldn't be it, could it?

Up above, Kiba grabbed Neji in desperation. "Is she okay? What do you see?"

Neji looked over the railing with his activated Byakugan. "It doesn't look good," he finally admitted. "Hanabi hit her just right. There's some chakra flowing, but it looks like she has a lot of chakra holes closed. I don't know. This might be it. Her heart never was the same after… well, you know…"

"No!" Kiba gasped. Neji grabbed the back of his jacket before the jumped over. Instead, he leaned over the railing too, looking down at his beautiful mate, crumpled and bleeding in the shadow of the arena walls. "Hinata! Get up! You're not done yet!"

Well, she certainly felt like she was done. The pain was intense, pushing through any resolve that she'd managed to build up. Black spots swam across her vision, partially blocking out the small nin that had just partially annihilated her. She couldn't even remember what she was doing there. Her instinctual desire to flee was overriding her mind. She wanted to curl up, away from the noise, away from the pain. She wanted Kiba. _Kiba! _He was calling her name! What was he saying?

"…_not done… get up… your clan…"_

The clan! Her head shot up, Byakugan eyes blinking furiously to clear her vision, and scanned the crowd. To her surprise, all she saw were concerned eyes. Of her friends, of her teachers, and most importantly, of the white eyed spectators in the stands. In a flash she remembered. She remembered it all. She was fighting for _them_. For her clan. And honestly, for her life. Kiba was right, she wasn't done yet.

She stood shakily, one hand desperately grabbing the wall to stabilize her. She quickly took inventory of herself, as Hanabi watched curiously. She was in a monstrous amount of pain, but she could still feel the chakra trickling through her veins. It wasn't enough though. She needed an ocean of chakra, not a stream. She thought frantically, trying to steady her breath. None of her new tricks would work without her chakra. What to do, _what to do_?

What if…?

A tiny idea, miniscule, but significant nonetheless, latched into her mind. Could she force the chakra paths open? Of course, it was a ridiculous idea. It had never been done before, but why not? She'd done other things no one thought were possible before, why not this?

--

Up above, Neji gasped.

"What?" Kiba shook him. "What is it?"

"I…I don't know! I-It can't be!" Neji shook his head in stunned disbelief. Far above them, the Hyuuga elders were standing in outrage. Hiashi was smirking.

--

Hanabi's eyes widened. Hinata was standing on her own now. Hanabi blinked, doubting her eyes. Invisible to most of the crowd above, Hinata was actually repairing the chakra veins running through her body. It was impossible. _Had to be impossible_! Yet, just moments later, Hinata was smiling softly, laughing as if she couldn't believe it herself.

"I'm sorry, Hanabi." Hinata said, her strength flowing through her again. She took a step forward. "I was not fighting with my all. That will change now." She took up a stance again, nodding. "I'm ready now. Please come at me seriously."

It was all Hanabi could do to nod.

"Now!" Hinata shouted, her entire body tensing as Hanabi ran at her. With a great crack, Hinata snapped forward, sending a wall of chakra rushing towards the slim girl in front of her. The roaring wave hit Hanabi like a freight train, sending her backwards, flying end over end. The Hyuuga champion lay like a rag doll in the dirt. Genma, who had been staying carefully away, slowly approached her. He turned her over, and she jerkily shook her head, asking him not to call the fight yet. He looked skeptically at her, but nodded and stepped away.

She pushed herself to a sitting position, breathing heavily. From her Byakugan eyes, Hinata could see that Hanabi was in much the same position her father had been in before. She had tried to control the wave as much as possible so it wouldn't kill her on impact, but it had still ravaged her body. Hanabi shouldn't try to fight! She lacked the strength to stand, let alone beat a fully able opponent!

Hinata crossed over to her little sister, still sitting in the middle of the dusty arena.

"Hanabi?" She said brokenly. "Hanabi, please don't try to fight anymore!"

Hanabi met her gaze head on, exhaling deeply.

"I'm not going to fight you."

The elder Hyuuga took a step back in surprise.

"What do you mean? Didn't you just tell Genma not to call the fight?"

Hanabi gave up on trying to sit and fell back heavily. With a small cry, Hinata ran over to her baby sister and cradled her head in her lap.

"Oh, Hanabi! I'm so sorry I did this to you!" A tear trickled down her cheek. "Please, let me call the medics!"

"No! Wait…" Hanabi's voice was raspy. "Nee…sama… That was… _amazing_." She gasped, committed to finishing what she had to say. "I just had to tell you before this was over… I always… I always…wanted you to be clan leader. Always. I just wanted you to prove it to me. And you did. And you were _wonderful_."

As she talked, Genma came back over to the pair, quietly waiting. With Hanabi's last word, he made the call, lifting his arm and pointing at the elder Hyuuga.

_Winner: Hyuuga Hinata_


	18. Chapter 18

The roar of the crowd was deafening. The medical team ran out on the field as soon as Genma made the call, taking emergency action to help keep Hanabi alive. Sakura took a quick inventory of the now unconscious nin's vitals and smiled encouragingly at the worried Hinata.

"She's going to be fine. She's going to be in a ton of pain for a while, but she's going to heal up just fine!" She grinned. "Now go enjoy your win!"

In a daze, Hinata looked up around her. The crowd was going wild. In the stands she could see the Hyuugas smiling at her, relief evident in their faces. High on the upper tier, Tsunade had an ironic smile, pleasure at Hinata's win warring with her irritation at having to hand over a large coin purse to Shizune. Hiashi and the Hyuuga elders were already gone.

"Hinata!!!" Kiba had jumped from the viewing deck and was running at top speed towards her. Her smile matching his, she ran and jumped into his waiting arms.

"You did it!" He kissed her soundly. "I knew you could! I knew you would!"

Tears of happiness began to leak out of her eyes as she wrapped her arms around him. "I was so scared, Kiba! And I won!!"

"I know you did!" Kiba snuck another kiss. "I was so proud to watch you." He leaned in close to her ear, gently nipping it as he whispered. "By the way, you were unbelievably sexy out there. Just so you know."

On cue, Hinata flushed an adorable shade of red. Kiba might have chuckled at that, but he figured that there were better things to do at the moment.

"Hinata-sama." A voice broke them out of their celebration. Turning around, Hinata was given the biggest surprise of the day yet. Her father and every single one of the Hyuuga clan elders had come down to the arena ground level, and were currently kneeling in front of her.

"Your spoils of the battle, Hinata-sama. The Hyuuga clan is yours." Hiashi bowed deeply. "You have indeed shown yourself worthy today."

She was speechless. She was already flustered from Kiba's little comment, and now this? It took her a moment to comprehend what was actually happening. When it finally sunk in, she gasped. The clan… they were hers. Hers to protect. Hers to lead.

She took a deep breath and nodded regally. "I pledge my life to the clan. I will protect them until my dying breath."

Hiashi raised his head, his face revealing that she had said the right thing. "And we will live to serve you, Hinata-sama."

"We will live to serve you!" The elders repeated in unison. Hinata had to force back a smile. Since she was barely a toddler, these same men had never looked at her with anything but scorn and disappointment. Their angry words had come back to haunt her memories time and time again. So right now, she had to admit to herself, this was a rather nice change.

"Hinata-sama," Hiashi was speaking again. "May I request a private audience?"

It was definitely strange to hear her father speaking to her with respect in his voice. And to _request _an audience with her? Oh yes, times were changing.

"You may. You will follow me." Again she forced back an ironic giggle. Who would have thought that she- little no-good Hyuuga Hinata- would ever be in the position to order her calloused father around? It was not natural for her at all, and she was desperately trying to recall every regal mannerism she'd ever seen displayed by the previous clan leaders.

She led the way through the entrance she'd come through to first get to the arena floor. There were several empty rooms along the corridor, usually used by either the opponents or the medical teams. She chose one and Hiashi followed.

"You wished an audience with me?" She fought to keep her gaze steady. It was so hard to look her father in the eye! She'd been looking away all her life, but she was in charge now. She had to be the bigger person.

Hiashi looked pleased. It was not an emotion common for him (of course, no emotion was common for him…), but he did not appear ashamed of it. Instead, he slowly took in his eldest daughter, from the glint in her eyes to the rigid posture she was maintaining. Gradually, his lips turned into a small smile, approving in every way.

"You have truly changed, Hinata." He shook his head. "I don't know when it happened, or even how it happened, but you are not the same girl you used to be. You're more confident now, more determined. And I don't know what you did out on that field…" His face still showed his disbelief. "But I know that no Hyuuga has ever been able to do that. You're special, Hinata. You're special, and I am glad that you won."

Hinata had turned pale. For her whole life she had waited desperately for her father's acceptance. For him to once say he was proud of her. And now, on this day of miracles, it finally happened. It was all too much for her to take in. Her knees turned into jelly, and she sank down onto an empty chair.

To Hinata's surprise, her father's face did not show displeasure for her moment of weakness. Instead, he smiled softly and knelt in front of her.

"As the current clan leader, I knew my priority was to groom the next leader of the Hyuugas. I dedicated my life to that. But in doing so I became a failure as a father." He placed his hand on his daughter's shaking one. "I did not recognize it until after that day when you nearly killed me. I realized I didn't even know you. I didn't know you, and you were strong enough to take out the entire clan. And it would have been my fault." He sighed quietly. "I do not deserve your forgiveness. But I do beg that you will allow me to serve you, and I will do so for as long as I am able."

"F-Father…" Hinata managed to stutter through the happy tears shimmering in her pearly eyes. "Thank you."

It was all rather unbelievable. Just that morning she had been preparing to die at her sister's hand, and here she was, experiencing nothing short of the perfect day. What more could she ask for?

_-_-_

"Hyuuga Hinata, you will report to the Godaime immediately." A cat-masked ANBU stood outside the door and confronted her as soon as she stepped out of the room.

"Alright," She acknowledged. "Where is she?"

"She has returned to her office. Please go without delay."

"Understood."

With that, the ANBU disappeared, leaving a surprised Hinata and a curious Kiba in his wake.

"What was that all about?" He asked, coming up behind her.

"I don't know. He told me to go see Tsunade-sama. That's all."

"Strange. Right now?"

"Yes. Are you coming?"

Kiba reached down and took her hand. "With you? Always."

Together, they lit the chakra at their feet and sped across the rooftops of Konoha, streets and houses blurring as they passed. Ahead of them, they could just make out the figure of the Godaime, watching their approach from inside her office.

They were immediately ushered in and waited patiently as the woman behind the desk quietly observed them.

"That was some fight, Hyuuga Hinata," she began. "Extremely impressive."

Hinata blushed at her words, pleased.

"Based on what I saw today, I have decided that it is time that you join the ranks of the Konoha elite. From today on, your primary duty will be as a Konoha ANBU."

Hinata fought back an excited squeal, managing instead to get out a polite "Hai, Godaime-sama."

Tsunade leaned her chair back, an ironic smile on her face.

"Who'd have thought shy little Hyuuga Hinata would be standing in front of me today, ANBU and leader of her clan. You've come a long way. Congratulations." She chuckled softly. "Now, get out of my office! Go celebrate!"

Kiba and Hinata didn't need to be told twice.

_-_-_

All over Konoha people were celebrating the Hyuuga's epic fight. It was rare for the locals to be able to watch such a fight, and it was even rarer for the shinobi to be able to watch a fight like that without being involved themselves. The townspeople, always looking for a good opportunity to throw a party, were singing and dancing in the streets. The shinobi met together over sake and debated the amazing fighting style of the newest Hyuuga prodigy.

But the hero of the hour had, unnoticed, slipped out early.

Deep in the Inuzuka woods, a pale-eyed woman, nestled in the arms of the man who loved her, sat on a grassy overhang, watching the pastels of the sunset fade into dark.

"Hinata," he breathed into her hair. "Have I ever told you how delicious you smell?"

She giggled, turning slightly in his arms to place soft kisses on the bare skin of his neck.

Kiba groaned softly, tilting his head to give her the best access. "Kami, Hinata!" He grit his fangs, clenching his fists in her soft coat, desperate to keep hold of his control. He almost came out of his skin when she licked him. "You have no idea what you do to me!"

She leaned back to look at him, feminine power running hotly through her veins.

"Maybe not, but you could always tell me…" She blushed up at him from behind lowered lashes.

He grinned widely at her. He didn't know exactly where this new, bold Hinata came from, but he liked it!

He unzipped his coat and pulled her tight against his mesh-covered chest. "Do you feel that, Hinata? How my heart speeds up for you? You're the only one it beats for."

He nibbled tenderly on her ear, and she relaxed completely against him.

"Every time you come near me, I feel like I'll fly apart if I don't touch you… your skin… your hair… your…" He stopped, thoughtful. "It's like I don't exist when you're not there."

Hinata trembled in his arms, and again he fought for his small measure of restraint.

"I've always loved you, Hinata. Always wanted you. And always will." He turned her in his arms to meet her dreamy gaze, desperate that she understood him. "Hinata, listen to me. No matter what happens, I will forever be the one thing that stays true for you."

The weight of those words registered in Hinata's mind, and her eyes focused on the handsome nin holding her.

"Kiba…" She blushed and looked down at her hands that were running up and down his chest. "All these years… how did I not realize how much I needed you?" She let her head fall forward to rest on his shoulder. "Now that I finally see you, _all_ I can see is you. I was lost for so long… so scared… and you found me. And…" She trailed off, the heat from her face warm on his skin. "And… now all I can think of is being with you. Being yours."

The heart underneath Hinata's palm skipped a beat.

"Kiba…" Her voice was nearly a whisper. "I'm not afraid of the future any more. Because you're in it. And… and our children are in it."

She looked up at the Konoha night sky, stars bright and cheerfully blinking.

"You know you've made all my dreams come true, Kiba. I want to spend the rest of my life making yours come true too."

* * *

_This is the home stretch now! I'm pretty sure I've only got the epilogue left! I want to thank everyone so much for sticking with me while I've been writing this. Your reviews really do keep me going! So, drop me a note and let me know how you like it! :D_


	19. Chapter 19

_This is the last chapter! Although I don't think it deserves an M rating by any means, there is a bit heavier fluff than I've written before. So, be aware. _

* * *

Sunlight filtered through the blossoms of the Hyuuga's main garden cherry trees, sending streams of light flickering across the bubbling ponds and the translucent eyes of the Hyuuga clan gathered below. Amongst the Hyuugas, the Konoha ninja elite mingled, clad in richly embroidered formal robes, enjoying the warm breeze and laughing at the Inuzuka nin-dogs attempts to fish Koi out of the pond.

Conversation in the garden quieted as the stoic Hyuuga elders entered, two by two, followed by Hiashi and Neji. Behind them walked Hanabi, no worse for wear from her epic battle. The quiet procession approached the steps of the main house, fanning out at the bottom. Above, two small Hyuuga girls pulled back the sliding doors of the house. The crowd gathered went silent as a slender form appeared from inside.

Inuzuka Kiba, decked out in shades of red and gray, grinned with pride as he watched his beautiful mate come down the stairs. The vision Hinata had in the desert had spared no details. Just like then, Hyuuga Hinata was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.

Smiling sweetly from under glossy raven hair, Hinata descended the stairs, literally shimmering. The traditional Hyuuga robes had been transformed by panels of gossamer silk that reflected the sunlight with every movement, topped by sheer sleeves that revealed the spiraling symbol borne by the Konoha ANBU.

Hiashi and Neji, both wearing proud smiles that were totally unlike them, each respectfully took an arm to escort her to the waiting elders. Hanabi gently placed the intricately woven silver ceremonial crown of the Hyuugas upon her sister's head as she passed.

Just beyond them the Hyuuga elders stood.

As for Hinata, the whole experience was completely surreal. Never in her life did she think she'd actually make it to this point. As a young shinobi, she remembered a conversation she'd overheard between Kurenai-sensei and her father. She'd known that she was a disappointment to her clan, but to actually hear her father publically give up on her… it was a crushing blow. Her already tender heart nearly died that day.

But oh, her teammates. They had pulled her through thick and thin, encouraging her in their own way. They never gave up on her. In most ways they were more family to her than her blood relatives. Together they'd started putting her heart back together, like so many pieces of a broken puzzle. Whether she'd known it then or not, she'd started giving little pieces of her heart to her teammates even back then.

And now? She didn't own her heart at all. She had given it away completely to her clan, her teammates…

And to him. Oh, he held the biggest piece of her heart. She knew, because she kept his in return. And although she knew she'd always have to share a bit of it with Akamaru, the ever present lovable nin-dog, that was fine. She wouldn't have it any other way.

Hinata forced herself to breathe deeply. Newfound confidence or no, her nerves were always going to be her biggest enemy. Hiding her desperation, she looked around for her handsome soul mate, needing a boost from him.

And there he was, standing not far from the Hyuuga elders. Her rapidly beating heart slowed for a moment, feeling the ease his presence brought. But only for a minute. As she gazed into his eyes, she immediately felt the heat in them, the desire. There was no mistaking the passion that boiled inside him. Her heart raced again, and she had to force her eyes back in front of her, desperately trying to keep her blush from rising.

But wait! Confident Hinata wouldn't cower beneath anyone's gaze. Mustering her courage, she met Kiba's eyes head on, her own pearly orbs blazing with a passion that matched his. She was a proud kunoichi, a Konoha ANBU, and new clan leader of the Hyuugas. And above all, she loved Kiba. Kami help her, she was his and she wanted him in every sense of the word.

She could tell in an instant the moment he read her eyes. The blush she managed to keep off her face rose on his. He shifted uncomfortably, his body language revealing just how much she was affecting him. However, he was a shinobi too, and he stared straight back again, determined not to let her beat him so easily. He grinned, his smile revealing his trademark fangs.

_-_-_

Hinata slipped away from the celebration as soon as she could. Granted, it was her event, so it wasn't so easy to do, but… well- desperate times, desperate measures.

The whole thing had been true to Hyuuga style: very traditional and long-winded. Despite it all, though, it had been almost impossible to keep from laughing when the Inuzuka dogs started pitifully howling every time an elder cleared his throat. Needless to say, the elders weren't particularly happy about it, but it did make the ceremony less tedious.

Hinata ducked out of the receiving line, tactfully retreating towards the family's inner garden. By this time the Hyuugas had set up a lavish buffet, and most of the guests were too distracted by the food to notice that the new clan leader had stepped out.

Most, that is.

Kiba, however, was ready. He hadn't taken his eyes off of the gorgeous head of the Hyuugas since the ceremony started. And when Hinata finally looked back at him, gave a cunning smile that almost knocked the wind out of him, and nodded slightly towards the stone-paved walkway that led to the inner parts of the Hyuuga complex, he wasted no time in ditching Shino (who never had forgiven him for completely disregarding his advice) and Akamaru (who was too busy with the buffet table to notice anyway) and following the soft trail of lavender left behind by his _hime_.

He had no more than turned past one of the stately Hyuuga halls when a vision in sparkling white and shimmering black appeared, her slender arms pinning him to the wall. Without her ninja sandals, Kiba was surprised to notice that Hinata just wasn't quite tall enough to reach his face. This realization lasted only about half a second though before his _other_ brain made two more discoveries. One, Hinata had pinned _him_. For a dog-nin, this was a blatant display of power and it woke up every one of his primal instincts. She was playing the part of the dominant one and, Inu help him, he was completely turned on by it. Secondly, his determined mate had decided if she couldn't reach his face, she'd just work her way up and had started attacking his bare neck with her lips and tongue.

Kiba groaned audibly. There was just no _way_ that she knew what she was doing to him! Powerless to resist though, he slid down the wall just enough to catch her lips with his. She sighed softly, fueling the fire that was burning inside him. He grabbed her wrists, spinning them around so now _she_ was the one pinned. He grabbed her waist, relishing in the curves that met his hands, and lifted her to him, crossing her legs around his own waist. Aligned in the most primitive way possible, Kiba couldn't help but rock gently against the welcoming heat of his beloved. Hinata, wrapped up in her own fog of want and pleasure, responded instinctively, throwing her head back and moaning Kiba's name.

It was enough, and yet not nearly enough for both of them. Yet, regretfully, they both knew it was neither the time nor place to finish what they'd started. Somehow Kiba managed to rein in his rampaging emotions enough to gently release Hinata from the iron grip he'd had on her, letting her feet meet the ground again. He dared a look at his mate, which proved to be a huge mistake. Her face was flushed, lips ruby red and swollen from his kisses and her chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath. He groaned again.

"Hina-hime," he ground out, resting his head on her shoulder. "We can't do this anymore."

He felt her stiffen beneath him, her breath catching. He pulled back, immediately reading the doubt in her eyes.

"No! No, that's not what I meant!" He grinned painfully. "No, I mean that you've got to marry me soon. We can't wait anymore, Hina, you're killing me!"

Smiling in relief, Hinata gently kissed his cheek before grabbing his hand and dragging him back towards the main garden.

"Wait… where are we going?" Kiba questioned frantically as people started coming into their view.

"Come with me!" She responded, pulling him directly to where her father was standing. Kiba reddened as Hiashi looked at them, one eyebrow slowly rising. Their robes were creased, hair mussed, and Hinata's ceremonial crown was hanging lopsided on her head. It couldn't have been more obvious where they'd been or what they'd been doing than if they'd had signs painted on their foreheads.

"Father," Hinata addressed him, standing tall and demanding all the respect deserved by the Hyuuga leader.

"Yes… Hinata-_sama_?" Hiashi stressed the honorific, sarcastically answering his errant daughter/ leader.

"Please gather together the elders." She pulled Kiba in tighter. "I will be marrying this man today."

_-_-_

Hiashi had thrown a fit. Or at least as much of a fit as a Hyuuga ever could. In public. With all of the village's important people standing near by. But, in the end, there was nothing he could do. Hinata was the clan leader and her word was law. Of course, it didn't help Hiashi's case that Tsunade was ultimately in favor of the match and offered to marry them herself.

Which she did.

Kiba (who had been hastily freshened up while the confused guests were asked to return to the main garden), stood underneath the cherry trees with the Godaime, proudly watching his radiant bride again come through the sliding doors of the Hyuuga house. She was an angel, floating softly over the cherry petal strewn aisle between the guests gathered, her eyes solely looked on his.

He didn't recall much of what the Hokage said. All he knew was that Hinata, his first and only love since childhood, was standing with him, vowing to spend her life with him. He managed to say "I do" in the right place, and his smile could have lit up the village when she responded in kind.

And then they came: his favorite words of all.

"Kiba," Tsunade said, smiling. "You may kiss your bride."

Kiba swept Hinata up in his arms, kissing her with all the love he had, his lips promising her a lifetime of happiness. She held her own, wrapping her arms around his neck, her lips promising the same.

It was the cheers, though, that brought them back to reality. Surprised, the newlyweds looked out at the garden. Everyone (except, of course, for the stodgy old elders), were standing, clapping, and cheering for them, wishing them luck and happiness in their new lives together. Even Hiashi, cold-hearted as he was, surreptitiously wiped away a tear.

Kiba carried his wife- _oh, he loved that word!­-_ back down the aisle, she nuzzled his neck tenderly.

"Kiba?" She whispered. "Do you remember back in the cave in Suna?"

He grinned. "How could I forget?"

"Kiba…" She gently nipped his ear, drawing a deep groan from him. "Tonight… let's make _your_ dreams come true."


	20. Chapter 20

Epilogue

_Inuzuka Kiba and Hinata were not seen for the next two weeks. Not surprisingly, a mere nine months later a little bundle of joy was added to the family. To Hinata and Kiba's joy, the newest Inuzuka claimed both Mommy's eyes and Daddy's sense of smell. Although Hiashi still felt it was a pollution of the bloodlines, it never stopped 'Grandpa' from teaching the Gentle Fist style fighting to his first grandchild._

_Hinata was arguably the best clan leader the Hyuuga's ever had. She did away with the division between the branches, with the help of her second-in-command, Neji. Together, they revamped the clan, making it even more powerful than it was before. _

_It took Naruto almost two years to realize that Hinata and Kiba's dreams had both come true, just like the visions in the cave predicted. Upon realizing this, it sent him into a Hokage-frenzy. He informed Tsunade that it was his destiny to be Hokage, because a cave told him. Tsunade politely informed him that if he was going to ever be Hokage, it would be over her dead body which, ironically, would have to be the truth._

_Shino finally stopped moping around and managed to hook a girl as equally creepy as himself. Every now and then Team 8 double dates, for old times sake._

_And they all lived happily ever after… eh, mostly._

* * *

Holy wow, people!!! It's done! I can't believe that I actually finished it! This is by far the longest thing I've EVER written in my life, and I want to thank everyone who's been along for the ride.

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS

For those who keep up with the manga, Hinata has finally confessed to Naruto. Eh, I'm not worried about it. I'm still convinced KibaHina is the OTP, and regardless what happens now, it'll all work out in the end. :D

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